Which Partner?
by TwelveTurquoise12
Summary: Due to her love of cats, Ladybug falls for the other half of the superhero duo, Black Cat. However, he only has eyes for his friend and sniping partner, Hayami Rinka. ChibaXHayami, LadybugXBlack Cat, Assassination ClassroomXMiraculous Ladybug. Cover art by me. Akuma requests closed! Cross posted on Archive Of Our Own.
1. Origins

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.**

* * *

 **A/N: This is set in Japan. I thought it would be weird if a Japanese had a French name like Chat Noir, so I changed it to Black Cat. Hawkmoth's name is also changed to Kochou (** **蝴蝶** **or "butterfly" in Japanese). Also this time** _ **Marinette isn't Ladybug**_ **,** _ **Adrien isn't Chat Noir**_ **(in case you get confused). I just took elements from ML and stuffed them into the Assassination Classroom universe. Also let's assume that no one can tell their hair colour and voice are the same.**

* * *

"Good, let's move on to the next chapter."

Hayami flipped a page. She was revising alone on a peaceful Sunday. Her second year of middle school had just begun, but she didn't allow herself to slack off.

There was a loud bang from outside. Hayami looked out of her window, and what looked like a gigantic bird was flying outside. Hayami blinked. It looked like a huge Pokemon? What the hell was that?

She turned the television on and she the local news was broadcasting the huge bird. "The so-called bird is actually a human who wears huge wings and calls themselves 'Freefeather'," the reporter said. "It is now wreaking buildings and causing damage."

A rather shaky video was shown, with Freefeather squawking, "I will have freedom! No one can limit me anymore!"

 _That's… that's supernatural!_ Hayami thought worriedly. _What's happening?_

And that was when she saw a jewelry box on her desk. It certainly wasn't there before, Hayami thought, but maybe she had overlooked it because she was too focused on her work.

Her curiosity got better of her and Hayami opened the box cautiously. A bright red light shone out of it, and Hayami shielded her eyes…

* * *

"Let's go oniichan!"

A four year old little girl pulled at her older brother's hand, who was a full decade older than her.

"Ah, okay, Mi-chan."

Chiba let his younger sister direct him, giving her the freedom to choose where they were going.

"Can I have a lollipop?" Minori asked Chiba excitedly, pointing at a candy store. Her eyes were shining and she looked adorable.

"Mom says you can't have any sweets this week." Chiba said gently. "So maybe next week?"

Minori looked disappointed. "Fine, I guess." she muttered.

Chiba didn't like seeing his sister upset, so he came up with an idea. "Say, let's visit the toy shop-" Chiba saw a shadow above him. " _Look out Minori!"_

Minori felt someone push her and she fell to the ground, fortunately without any scratches. She quickly realized something, or rather _someone,_ was missing.

" _Oniichan!_ "

A large piece of debris stood where she had been a few seconds ago. Minori ran to it urgently. "Oniichan? Are you there? Are you alive?"

There was a grunt. "I'm fine, Minori." Chiba replied. His leg was stuck under the debris and he tried to tug it out. He saw more parts of damaged buildings raining from the sky, and a huge bird flying between them.

"Listen to me! Minori, go to somewhere safe with people and police! Run!"

"B-but how about you?" Minori stuttered.

"Don't worry about me!" Chiba yelled as he tried to free his leg."I'll be fine!"

"I'm not leaving you!" Minori sobbed.

"If you stay than no more sweets for a month!"

A window pane shattered near them and the glass shards flew towards them. Minori saw the broken street and the scratches made by the flying shards, looked back nervously before running off crying.

Chiba saw the mess falling down, closed his eyes and said a small prayer. It seemed like the end of the world…

* * *

"...and that's what the ladybug miraculous powers are about!" A small, red, bug-like creature explained.

"So… with these earrings I can fight the bad guy and bring peace?" Hayami asked. The initial shock of Tikki, the ladybug kwami, appearing had worn away due to more exciting things happening outside.

"Yeah. But do you want to know why you were chosen-"

"I am sorry for interrupting you, but at this point I don't care if I am made to be a superhero or not, I just want to save the people." Hayami's mind was spinning so she chose the most logical path. "Tell me what I need to do to defeat the bird and we'll talk about this later."

Tikki blinked. This was one of her chosens that focused more on actions than words and she could see the determination in her eyes. Her guardian had been observing Hayami for some time, and knew she was trustable.

"Okay, put on these earrings. You transform by yelling "Tikki, spots on!". You can use your yoyo to fight. You can yell "Lucky Charm!" and throw your yoyo in the air, and an item will fall down to help you defeat the enemy. You will detransform 5 minutes after you use the Lucky Charm. The enemy is called an akuma. Find an item that the akuma, or an evil butterfly, is in. Break it and cleanse it using your yoyo. The akuma is sent by Kochou, and he wants to use the akuma to get your miraculous. Don't let him. Throw your Lucky Charm in the air while yelling "Miraculous Ladybug!" and everything will turn back to normal. After you detransform, you use up all of my energy, and I need sweet things, preferably cookies, to regain my energy so you can transform again. Questions?"

To her surprise, Tikki saw Hayami writing down notes. "I think I got it. I don't think I can be a superhero, but I'll do whatever it takes to save people."

The information was rushing around in Hayami's head. There could be nothing seen in the TV because all the cameras had been destroyed, but she could hear the chaos outside.

"That means you have potential to be a great superhero, but we'll talk about it later," Tikki said encouragingly.

Hayami put the black earrings on. Her voice a bit shaky, she said, "Tikki, spots on!"

* * *

Pieces of concrete fell down, nearly hitting Chiba. He could feel his leg getting numb and was reminded of that movie he once saw about a man cutting his arm off in order to survive when his arm was trapped.

He wasn't sure if he was going to live. He could only hope that his sister was safe.

"So, that's the thing?" Ladybug, or Hayami in transformed form, muttered as she scanned the area on a rooftop.

She knew if she could find and break the akumatized item, everything would be fine.

Ladybug threw out her yoyo and it bounced off a wall, nearly hitting herself.

 _Well, that was a good start,_ Ladybug thought.

After realizing that she needed some practice in order to face the akuma, Ladybug decided to save the civilians first. Tossing away debris, she freed people trapped under them.

Chiba saw a girl around his age in a tight fitting suit, which was red with black polka dots. She wore a mask and dashed around, saving people. Was she a superhero, saving them from monsters?

Chiba saw the girl lift the piece of debris his leg was stuck in. "Thank you," he replied, a bit slowly because his mind hadn't caught up with the current events.

The girl gave a nod of her head to indicate she had heard him, and sped away, peach coloured pigtails flying behind her.

Chiba looked down at his freed leg and grimaced. It was a purplish colour and it still felt numb. Using his good leg, he hopped to a place where he hoped was safe, and waited.

Ladybug hopped on top of a half-destroyed building. She looked at Freefeather, and saw a black pendant it wore around its neck. When Ladybug looked closer she could see the faint shape of a feather.

 _That must be what was making it go crazy,_ Ladybug thought.

She swung her way to Freefeather, and in a daring motion, she landed on top of it.

"Squaw, squaw! Get off me!" Freefeather shook its body and Ladybug nearly tumbled off, but she wrapped her arms around it to keep herself steady. She tried to get the pendant but her hands missed.

Freefeather soared to the sky, Ladybug still clinging on him.

 _I_ knew _a new ladybug miraculous holder will appear. Quick, get her earrings!_ A purple outlined mask appeared on Freefeather's face as it heard the voice talking. "Yes Kochou-sama," Freefeather seethed.

 _Oh no,_ Ladybug looked down and saw the city moving farther and farther away. She flung her yoyo out and it caught onto a pipe, and then she swung herself to the ground, landing shakily.

"Lucky Charm!" Ladybug said, a bit out of breath. "What is this- a fishing rod?"

Ladybug looked at the red-and-black rod in her hands, then at the pendant. She quickly thought of a plan when she looked at her surroundings.

Ladybug leapt on top of a building and stood there, as if waiting for the akuma. Freefeather noticed her and flew at her with an angry squawk. Soon she had lured it into a building site and Freefeather's legs were stuck in the softened concrete.

Ladybug perched on a pile of materials nearby. As the akuma struggled to free itself, Ladybug stretched out the rod, hooked the pendant and lifted it up. Ladybug stepped on the pendant and broke it, and a black butterfly flew out, which Ladybug assumed was the akuma.

"Um. Cleanse the akuma." Ladybug muttered, while waving her yoyo. She hadn't been given specific instructions but she hoped she could do her job the same.

To her amazement the yoyo caught the akuma and it shone. After a few seconds, a white, purified butterfly flew out.

Ladybug threw the fishing rod in the air and said quietly, "Miraculous Ladybug." She wasn't one to make big appearances.

The rod exploded into dozens of ladybugs and they swarmed through the area, repairing everything.

Chiba saw glowing ladybugs heading towards him. Scared, he tried to move away but his bad leg forbade him from moving quickly. The ladybugs surrounded him and his leg healed on his own.

Ladybug looked at the ladybugs restoring things to what they were before with a small smile. She was about to call it a day when she saw a small child crying.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Ladybug asked after she walked to the child.

The child sniffed as tears poured from her eyes. "My brother had gotten stuck. I don't know where he is. C-can you help me find him?"

"Of course." Ladybug heard a beep from her earrings. That must be indicating she didn't have much time left. She picked the girl up with superhuman strength and leapt across the streets to find the girl's brother.

"What does he look like?" Ladybug's green eyes scanned the area.

"Oniichan is tall. He also doesn't have any eyes." The girl replied innocently.

Ladybug blinked. She wouldn't try to understand the mind of a kid. Besides, how can anyone not have any eyes?

"Hold on," she said to the girl. She jumped onto the rooftops to get a better view. A lone figure caught her eye. He had black hair, bangs which covered his eyes and he wore a beanie. He looked around her age.

"Is that him?" Ladybug asked.

"Yes! Oniisan!" The girl called. Ladybug jumped down and set the girl on the ground.

Chiba turned to see the superhero girl next to his sister. "Minori!" He ran over to her and would have tripped, but Ladybug caught his arm.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Just a bit unused to my leg being fine again." Chiba looked into the girl's bright green eyes, which were intensely staring at him. "And thanks for saving me just now."

 _He looks familiar… do I know him?_

"Thank you for helping me find oniichan." Minori said to Ladybug. "Oneechan, are you a superhero?"

"Kind of." Ladybug replied. She could see the news crew and the camera lens flashing as they located her. She groaned internally; she wasn't ready to deal with people.

"Do you have a name?" Chiba asked.

Ladybug heard another beep from her earrings. She prepared to set off, but she looked back at Chiba.

"Call me Ladybug."

And then she was gone.

* * *

On Monday, when Hayami returned to school, the corridors were buzzing with excitement.

"Look look Rinka-chan!" Nakamura, her friend, shoved her phone under Hayami's nose. "I got a picture of the new superhero!"

Hayami looked at the blurry picture of her alter ego. "I'm a bit more concerned about the new monsters though."

"Well yeah, but if superheroes also appear, we'll be alright." Nakamura said optimistically.

 _Not when said superhero isn't sure if she can be a superhero_ , Hayami thought. After her fight with the akuma, she had a talk with Tikki. The conclusion of that talk was Hayami would try to be a superhero and Tikki had faith in her. So now the ladybug kwami was hidden in her schoolbag. There were also a few packs of cookies inside in case Tikki needed food.

"I've got to go! Bye!" Nakamura waved and skipped into the next classroom. Hayami entered hers. Everybody also looked like they were talking about the new superhero.

"Hey Chiba, does this look like her?" A grey haired boy pushed a sketchbook to the boy sitting in front of him.

Chiba turned and looked at the drawing. "Accurate enough, Sugaya."

"Did you catch her name? She saved you, y'know."

"No." Chiba said, surprisingly. "I don't know her name."

From her short words, Chiba could already feel that the girl- Ladybug was a serious person. He could see she wasn't very comfortable around people she had just met (aka. him) and she ran away when she saw cameras. He didn't want to expose her, and so he let her do the introductions when she wanted to.

Hayami recognized Chiba as her classmate. _No wonder he looked familiar. He's in my class._

"Wait, so an incredibly beautiful and sexy girl saved you a few days ago?!" A bald headed boy joined in the conversation.

Hayami felt disgusted by the perverted look on the Okajima's face. A year spent with him was bad enough, and he _had_ to be in the same class as her too. She turned away and started to read her notes.

"Well, I won't call her that." Chiba was uncomfortable that people were actually talking to him.

"So what's your impression of her?"

Chiba also took out his notes and hid his face behind them. "I am not answering any more questions."

Okajima looked around and saw Hayami doing the same thing as Chiba. He suddenly realized the two seemed to be very similar.

"Umm, Hayami-san, can you please do my part of the project?" A timid girl asked Hayami.

Hayami agreed readily, while wondering how to balance her academic life, her peers' academic life, and her superhero life.

* * *

When Chiba returned home, he saw a jewelry box on his desk. Maybe it was some sort of gift for one of his sisters, and it was mistakenly put in his room.

But somehow he was drawn to that box, as if there was an invisible force pulling him in. Chiba slowly opened it, his (hidden) eyes widening when he saw what was inside…

"I'm sorry but no."

Plagg, that cat kwami, scowled when he saw his chosen's reluctance. He was nibbling on a chunk of cheese Chiba had found in the fridge.

"Listen here boy, you definitely have a nice heart. You just need to be more open, and being a superhero is the perfect chance!"

Chiba didn't reply.

"And you won't be alone. You have Ladybug as your partner. And she's probably as quiet as you are. Wow, a quiet duo of Ladybug and Black Cat. Never seen before."

"How do you know so much?" Chiba asked suspiciously.

Plagg waved his hand dismissively. "I'm a god. I know these things. I've watched over generations of superheroes. And this cheese sucks."

Chiba glanced at the kwami irritably. "This is the best I've got. Stop complaining."

Plagg explained the cat miraculous powers to Chiba, in hopes of him getting him interested in being a superhero. After a while it seemed like it did work as Chiba cautiously slid the cat miraculous, a ring, on his finger.

"Now yell, 'Plagg, claws out!'" Plagg instructed. _I'm no Tikki,_ Plagg thought. _I'm not good at encouraging people like she is._

"Plagg, claws out!"

In a flash of green light Chiba transformed into Black Cat. He looked into a mirror to see what he looked like, and got a big shock.

His normally hidden eyes were now revealed and he wore a pitch black mask. His bangs had been swept away and his hair was more spiky. Two black cat ears rested on top of his head.

Embarrassed, Black Cat immediately covered his red eyes with his hand. After a while he gradually put his hand away, and looked at the black leather suit he was wearing. Then he tried his best to flatten his bangs again, but they remained the same.

He detransformed and Plagg landed on his bed, a smirk on his face. "So?"

Chiba placed a hand on his bangs, which were covering his eyes again. "Uh… can you make it cover my eyes?"

Plagg groaned, flew to Chiba and flipped his bangs away. "Well they are creepy," he admitted. "I can change aspects of your outfit- for a price."

Ten minutes later Chiba found himself in a store, buying the biggest piece of Camembert cheese he could find.

Plagg munched happily on it. After his energy was restored, he said, "Now transform again."

This time Chiba's bangs remained, except they were a bit shorter. His hair was still a bit spiky. But the most amazing change was his eyes. They were now yellowish-green in colour and wider, and looked a bit like cat eyes.

He was satisfied with the change, and decided to go out to see what his neighbourhood would look like from rooftops.

Hayami was doing a project for someone else when she saw a black figure running on the rooftops. It was her duty as Ladybug to check out suspicious things, and _that_ certainly caught her attention.

Rapidly transforming, Ladybug followed the figure. The person launched himself to the next series of rooftops using a silver baton, which had a paw print on it.

Ladybug swung herself over and the person turned around. That was when Ladybug realized he had the most adorable cat ears on. She sucked in a breath unknowingly.

The boy looked around her age, and his hair stuck out slightly. There was a confused look in his sharp, green, cat-like eyes.

For some reason Ladybug thought he was really cute and wanted to cuddle him and squish his cheeks. It was probably because she _loved_ cats.

This was the first time Ladybug ever saw a boy that she thought was cute.

Then she realized she had been staring at him for some time. The boy's cat ears moved, even more confused. Ladybug had to bit her lip from cooing out aloud. Who was this ridiculously cute boy?

"Is there something wrong?" The (cute) boy asked.

"No." Ladybug said quickly as she felt her whole body go warm. "Are you another superhero?"

"Yes." Black Cat replied shortly. "I'm Black Cat."

"And I'm Ladybug."

"I think we're supposed to be partners."

There was silence as they looked away from each other.

"...I hope we can get along…"

 _Yeah, that was real smooth,_ Black Cat scolded himself. Curse his social awkwardness. He held out a hand.

Ladybug smiled. "I hope so too." They shook hands then stood there, not knowing what to do.

"Can you tell me the basics of being a superhero?" Black Cat asked.

"Oh! I'm rather new to this business myself, so let's learn together."

Ladybug was surprised at her eagerness, and her persona suddenly shifted from a cold and aloof one to a welcoming one.

 _Tikki was right,_ she thought. _This gives me a chance to be more open._

They ran across the rooftops, learning to get used to their outfits and weapons.

It was as if somebody flipped a trigger. In their civilian forms Ladybug and Black Cat had to study, study, and study. As perfectionists they didn't let themselves slack off.

But now they jumped around freely, without a care in the world. Black Cat looked at Ladybug, her hair whipping in the wind. He could see that she looked more comfortable here than when he had first met her in civilian form.

 _She seems like a nice person. I do hope we get along. Maybe I'll actually make a friend._

* * *

 **A/N: Please read and review! I know not a lot of people will come to this really small crossover and this is a side characters' ship, but please tell me what you think!**

 **Edit: In case you're just here to see your favourite characters as akumas, here's an akuma list. There will be spoilers, obviously.**

 **Chapter 3: Okano**

 **Chapter 6: Kurahashi**

 **Chapter 11: Sugaya**

 **Chapter 13: Takebayashi**


	2. Crush on the Cat

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.**

* * *

Chiba was wrong.

Being a superhero wasn't very freeing after all.

In fact, it added a lot more burdens and responsibilities to him and Ladybug.

They didn't instantly click and they made mistakes, so they tried to cooperate. But the problem was that neither of them liked to talk, so silent they remained.

"This won't work," Black Cat said after another fight with an akuma. Again, they did different things and they wasted time.

"I know," Ladybug agreed. "We'll talk this night. Our transformations are going to run out." She jumped away and vanished.

Black Chat sighed and also ran away. He had mountains of homework to do, family chores, babysitting his sister, and group projects. Not to mention patrolling duty with Ladybug and crime fighting.

Chiba buried his head in his work until dinnertime. He went out of his room, ate quickly and then retreated to his room.

His mom looked at him and sighed. "He's always so quiet. I never know what he's thinking about."

In his room, Chiba searched up the Ladyblog. It was ran by a diehard fan of the heroes, and it had appeared a few days prior. Its use was to post akuma attacks so Ladybug and Black Cat could arrive at the scene quicker. There was also a photo collection of the two heroes.

Afterwards, Chiba went on social media and searched for his alter ego and Ladybug. Unsurprisingly, there were a lot of comments about them, especially about their supposed romantic relationship. Surprisingly, a lot of people commented on Black Cat's looks.

"He's so cute! I wanna squish his face ~~~"

"I love him he's so hottttt"

"outta the way ladybug he's mine 3"

"...What?" Chiba looked at the screen, disgusted yet confused.

Plagg zoomed out of his pocket. "Well Ladybug's not going to like this."

"Why?"

"Would you like it if the public kept on commenting on your partner's attractiveness?" Plagg asked drily, remembering he wasn't supposed to reveal the fact that most, if not all Ladybugs and Black Cats end up together.

"I think not. And I should be meeting with her at eleven tonight. I still have time to work."

"Just don't overwork yourself," Plagg yawned and flew under Chiba's blanket. "I'm gonna sleep for a while.

"...hey! You! Wake up!"

Chiba grunted and lifted his face from where it was on the desk. Plagg was kicking his arm.

"I can't believe you fell asleep too." Plagg scowled. "That's unlike you. Anyways you're going to be late."

"Late?" Chiba muttered sleepily. "It's not the time for school… oh wait!"

He grabbed his clock. Three minutes until eleven. His sleepy eyes widened.

"Crap! The meeting with Ladybug!"

* * *

Ladybug stood on the roof of the town's public library. It was their preferred meeting spot. She checked the clock in her yoyo.

"5 minutes left," she muttered. She sat down and looked at the view, her hair ribbons blowing slightly in the wind.

Ever since Ladybug met Black Cat, she had somehow always anticipated his arrival, whether they were meeting for patrol or akuma fights. A thought flashed into her mind. _I hope he won't be late..._

She suddenly caught sight of a young girl running away from a bunch of thug-looking guys. Instantly alert, Ladybug leapt down from the library.

 _She looks around my age. Why is she out this late?_

The girl wore a pair of shorts and a tank top. _Maybe she's one of those party girls,_ Ladybug thought. The girl ran until she reached a dead end and looked around, scared.

"Hey pretty girl, wanna play with us?" one guy asked, his meaty hand slamming on the wall beside the girl.

"Umm… I'll rather not…" the girl replied timidly.

"Too bad," another boy cackled as he and the other guys walked closer to the girl. "Hehe, this going to be _fun_ …"

To the boys' surprise, another girl clad in a black and red outfit suddenly stood in front of them.

Ladybug spun her yoyo quickly. "You want fun? I'll give you fun." she hissed. "It's my job to protect innocent citizens."

The guys paled when they saw the superhero. "Scram!" one of them yelled and ran away, the others following him.

"Cowards." Ladybug commented and stopped spinning her yoyo. She turned to the girl behind her. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yes." The girl replied. "Thanks for saving me."

"No problem. And you shouldn't be out this late. You better go home now." Ladybug advised. Now she could look closely, the girl seemed vaguely familiar.

"I am. In fact my home is just another block away. You don't need to worry, Ladybug." the girl assured her.

Ladybug wondered if she had to escort the girl back home. But a part of her didn't want to do that, because that would mean contact with strangers.

"Okay," Ladybug said finally. "I gotta go!" She swung herself up on the rooftops and ran back to the library.

She was busy seeing if the thugs were still on the streets when she crashed into someone. A pair of hands grabbed her and regained her balance.

Ladybug looked up and her heart skipped a beat. "Oh. It's you."

"Hi." Black Cat greeted, his partner still in his arms. He quickly let go.

There was silence and Ladybug brushed nonexistent dust off her arms.

"Shall we begin our patrol?" Black Cat asked.

"Sure." Ladybug said and they leapt across Japan's rooftops, chatting while keeping an eye on the streets.

"So," Ladybug began. "We have an interview next day."

Black Cat sighed internally. As a socially awkward person in both identities, he preferred to avoid people. "Yeah. People on the internet have a lot of questions."

"And most of them are about us dating," Ladybug crossed her arms. "We've only met for like two weeks."

"They're probably going to inquire after our ages too." The cat ears on Black Cat's head twitched. "By the way, how old are you?"

"Eh?" Ladybug looked surprised. Her companion realized that question might be offensive to a female too late.

"Probably as old as you are." Ladybug replied, after thinking for a while.

"Hmm…" Black Cat looked up and down at Ladybug's body. Her height seemed to overlap with the heights of the girls at his school, so unless she was an immortal or whatever they would be around the same age.

Unfortunately, this was the first time somebody had ever looked at Ladybug or Hayami this intensely. Feeling rather self conscious, she hit Black Cat across the chest with her yoyo. It didn't hurt because his suit absorbed the damage, but it was enough to bring him back to reality.

"What are you staring at?" Ladybug asked sternly, crossing her arms.

"Nothing." Black Cat answered too quickly and too innocently.

Ladybug didn't believe him. She looked down at her skin tight suit, and somehow that idiot Okajima came to her mind. Her face got redder and she spat out, "Pervert."

"I was just trying to see how tall you were!" Black Cat defended himself. "Or would you prefer…" He stretched out a hand and put it on top of her head, and pulled his hand back until he hit his nose.

Ladybug stiffened when Black Cat put his hand on her head. She was reminded that perverts like Okajima exist. From what she'd seen of Black Cat so far, he seemed like a pretty respectable person, but she had zero idea what he was like in his civilian form. She shuddered, and hoped that he wasn't a really weird guy under the mask. Because of her unpleasant thoughts, she decided to change the topic.

"Maybe they'll ask about how we feel as a superhero." Ladybug suggested.

The duo thought of possible questions and tried to answer them. Neither of them liked people prying into their lives, so they had thought of lying to the press about preferences such as favourite food and colour.

"I really hope they won't ask a lot of questions. I don't like talking about myself." Black Cat mentioned.

"Same." Ladybug agreed. "And that brings us to our next topic."

Black Cat knew what she meant. "We can start by discussing fighting tactics."

Surprisingly, the duo had a lot of things to talk about when it concerned their work. It was the most they had ever talked about. When they didn't use their special powers, their transformations could last for hours, so they didn't have to worry.

Some time later, Ladybug checked her yoyo."It's half past twelve in the morning," she said in amazement. "We have been talking for an hour and half."

"That's… some progress." Black Cat scanned the area to determine which direction his home was in. "We should go home."

A part of Ladybug didn't want to leave. As a very quiet person, she didn't have a lot of people to talk to. Her parents were rarely home, Nakamura could be too chatty and outgoing, but Black Cat was similar to her, and they knew each other's limits.

"You know, the people on the internet seem to like how you look," Ladybug teased her partner.

"I never thought that would happen." Black Cat muttered. When he was in his other form, people thought of him as weird no matter he showed his eyes or not. The power of the cat miraculous _was_ strong. A bit embarrassed, his cat ears drooped.

 _Awwwwww,_ Ladybug thought automatically. A small grin appeared on her face, and she patted Black Cat's head. "You're kind of cute though," she said and leapt away.

Black Cat stared after her, bewildered. "Did you just…"

He put his hand on where Ladybug had just touched. Feeling a bit confused yet amused, he made his way home.

* * *

"I just did that," Hayami muttered, lying on her bed and cuddling her blanket.

"Yes, you did that." Tikki said patiently. "You said Black Cat was cute."

Hayami cringed and buried her face in her blanket.

"Why did I do that?" she muttered, and turned around so she faced Tikki, who was sitting on a chair. The kwami had a makeshift bed made out of a towel, but since she was a god she didn't need sleep like humans did.

"Well," Tikki's eyes lit up. "Maybe you like Black Cat!"

"I do like him. As a partner." Hayami replied.

"No Rinka-chi, I mean _romantically_ ," Tikki explained. Rinka-chi was Tikki's nickname for her.

There were a few seconds of silence.

"No. That's not possible. I don't like him that way," Hayami denied, although her heart was beating fast.

"I've seen many many cases," Tikki soothed. "It's normal for your age."

"I don't. I don't have a crush on him." Hayami continued to state.

"Do you always want him to show up?" Tikki asked.

"Yeah."

"Does your heart race when you see him?"

"Sort of."

"Do you think he's cute?"

"...Yeah."

Tikki flew down from her perch and hovered in front of Hayami's face. "Now do you think you have a crush on Black Cat?" she asked once again.

This time Hayami didn't reply. She turned away and pretended to sleep. "Good night Tikki."

Tikki smiled. She already knew her chosen's answer. "Good night."

* * *

When Chiba stepped into his classroom the next day, he got a big shock.

"W-what?!"

On the blackboard, there was a huge chalk drawing of Ladybug and Black Cat. It was completely drawn with white chalk and the duo were posed heroically, yoyo and baton out. A boy was carefully drawing the smaller details on the blackboard.

"Wow, he's good at this…"

"Amazing, Sugaya-kun!"

The class artist stood up straight and basked in his classmates' praise. "It's finished!" he announced.

Everybody clapped. Standing behind Sugaya, a girl with peach coloured shoulder length hair studied the drawing, arms folded.

Sugaya noticed the girl, who didn't seem to be impressed with his drawing. "What's up? Is it not good enough?"

"No," Hayami replied, who turned out to be the girl. She had let down her hair in civilian form after the first appearance of Ladybug, so she wouldn't be so easily recognized. "It's good." she allowed a smile on her face. "But that bit on Black Cat's bangs are wrong," she pointed at a spot.

Sugaya rechecked the pictures he had used for reference. "You're right. Thanks for telling me." Sugaya erased the spot and redrew it.

Chiba hadn't even realized the mistake. _That girl must be really observant._

"It's a pity it can't stay for long," somebody commented.

"Yeah," Sugaya agreed. "Or else I'll be seen as a delinquent. Won't want to get into Class E, after all."

"Hayami-san, I can't believe that you noticed that small mistake. You must be a big fan of Black Cat." a girl said to Hayami.

"Umm, not really." Hayami laughed awkwardly to cover up her crush on the boy. She was the person Black Cat spent the most with in his superhero form, so naturally she would know the most about him. The problem was that she wasn't Ladybug at the moment, she was Hayami, and as far as they were concerned Hayami was just a normal citizen.

Chiba overheard their conversation, and somehow, seeing that girl noticing details about his alter ego, made him happy yet a bit embarrassed. He wasn't used to attention.

At lunch, the girls began to bombard Hayami with requests. Similarly, the boys also asked Chiba for favours.

"Hey, sit with us!" Sugaya poked Chiba's arm.

"Sorry, I work better when I sit alone. No offence." Chiba replied.

"You work when you eat? Life in this school is hard. You should try to relax a little," Sugaya reminded Chiba.

Soon, Chiba noticed that he and Hayami were the only ones who sat alone for lunch. Seemed like the girl was similar to him too.

In Chiba's bag, Plagg had finished munching on a piece of cheese. He poked his head out carefully, and saw Hayami.

Because Tikki and Plagg could sense each other's presence, they knew the true identities of both Ladybug and Black Cat. Plagg flew over to Hayami's bag, where he could sense Tikki.

Tikki widened her eyes when she saw Plagg. Venturing out in the broad daylight and in front of Ladybug! Plagg motioned for Tikki to go out and talk.

Tikki looked at her holder, who was busy trying to do sums while eating. Hoping Hayami wouldn't notice her disappearance, Tikki phased out of the bag.

"Why did you call me?" Tikki asked nervously when she and Plagg found a secret place in a storage room. "Is something wrong?"

Plagg shrugged. "I was bored." he explained.

"Well if we don't have anything to talk about, I should return to my chosen." Tikki said.

"You seem attached to her. You're like that for every holder." Plagg remarked.

"And you're the opposite," Tikki sighed. "Treat your Black Cats with some more gentleness."

Plagg scowled. "I'm not like you, lucky bug. I bring bad luck. Sometimes, my holders just…" Plagg choked a bit. "You know, die. That's why… that's why I can't get too attached to them."

Tikki looked at Plagg with concern. "I understand."

"No, you don't." Plagg replied angrily, a bitter look in his greenish yellow eyes. "Ladybugs protect the place, while Black Cats protect Ladybug. It's natural that my chosens die more."

There was a brief silence.

"Sorry for that just now," said Plagg, showing a bit of emotion. "That wasn't what I thought I would do to get rid of boredom."

"Let's change the topic," Tikki declared. "Are we resuming our usual bet of which one will find out first?"

Plagg smirked. "I think mine will. His hairstyles are vastly different when transformed."

"You're right," Tikki agreed. "Mine looks about the same in both forms. But miraculous magic will prevent it from being too obvious."

"Y'know, my holder doesn't have quality cheese," Plagg complained.

Tikki laughed, knowing Plagg's love of Camembert. "Maybe your standards are too high. And I think we should go back."

"Aww, man." Plagg laid lazily on an upturned bucket. "I was just starting to enjoy myself."

Tikki grabbed Plagg's hand and dragged him out. "Come on!"

Plagg showed a rare grin at the ladybug kwami's actions. Tikki was the only one that could break his sarcastic and seemingly uncaring exterior. After all, they had been paired with each other for centuries and centuries.

No matter what happens, the ladybug and the black cat will always find a way to end up with each other.

* * *

"It's the interview," Chiba thought as he sat on his bed, about to transform. "I can get through this," he muttered to himself.

Plagg couldn't have cared more (or at least appeared too). "What are you waiting for? Get your butt out of here!"

The interview took place at the park. It was only for the press, but the public could watch.

When Black Cat arrived, he found lots of fangirls holding up handmade signs with words like "I 3 Black Cat". They yelled loudly when they saw him.

 _Oh, no._ Black Cat thought. He didn't want to disappoint, so he forced himself to wave. The fangirls cheered even louder and some even screamed.

Ladybug swung herself to the park, and the fans of Ladybug cheered, although they were nowhere near to the volume of the cheers on Black Cat's side.

Ladybug was annoyed by Black Cat's fans, and she could see that her partner wasn't comfortable. She walked to him and stood there.

Due to the preparation the two had done for the interview, their interview went smoothly.

"So, if you two aren't together, does that mean you are single?" the person asked.

Ladybug and Black Cat looked at each other while the fangirls and fanboys screamed crazily.

"That's private," Ladybug answered.

"What she said." Black Cat seconded.

"Next, will you receive fan mail?"

"Umm, we are busy since we have double lives, so we are sorry to say that we won't receive fan mail." Black Cat answered.

"There's a popular webpage about you two. It's the Ladyblog. Have you checked it out?"

"We have." the two answered together.

They could hear someone in the middle of the crowd scream, "SENPAI NOTICED MY PAGE!"

After the brief interview, the heroes decided to greet their fans.

Having no idea what to do, Black Cat said awkwardly, "Uh. I'm no good with saying things. B-but thank you for your support!" he bowed.

The fangirls went crazy and starting screaming. Apparently, the boy's cluelessness was adorable.

Meanwhile, Ladybug went to her mostly male fans, and was a bit disgusted by the fact that Okajima was there. They were all very excited and started waving their signs frantically.

"Ladybug! If I cheer for you, will you do your best?" a boy asked.

Ladybug couldn't help but smile at the effect she had over a bunch of people. "I always do my best. But thank you for cheering for me."

"Ladybug! May I have your signature?" another fan asked, holding out a notebook he owned.

"Alright," Ladybug agreed. She and Black Cat had practiced signatures beforehand. She took the offered pen and signed the notebook.

"Wow thanks!" the boy said. He suddenly winked. "Does it mean something special?"

"Don't get the wrong idea." Ladybug said immediately.

All the boys immediately ooohed. "Tsundere!" Okajima screamed, and almost had a nosebleed. That scream was enough to put all the boys there on the same brainwave.

"Tsundere! Tsundere! Tsundere!" the boys chanted. Ladybug turned pink. "I'm not a tsundere!"

That only seemed to make things worse. "Ooooh! It seems like Ladybug is a cute little tsundere!" Okajima grinned.

"Watch who you're calling cute," Ladybug glared at Okajima.

"Tsundere! Tsundere!" the crowd continued in unison.

Ladybug sighed. It seemed there would be no going back. She looked at Black Cat, whose fans were still screaming wildly.

His face was slightly flushed, greenish yellow eyes darting around. When they made eye contact, he gave her a small sheepish smile.

Ladybug felt something warm twist in her stomach, and smiled back automatically.

Afterwards, whenever Ladybug thought of Black Cat's smile, she would feel happy and bubbly all over.

* * *

 **A/N: Wow! Thank you all very much for the favourites and follows! And thank you for the review! I never expected people will read this!**

 **(By the way, the party girl Ladybug rescued was Kanzaki. Sigh, Kanzaki's bad luck with men.)**

 **Please read and review! :D**


	3. Beach Babe

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.**

* * *

Ladybug and Black Cat gradually got along and soon, their movements were more in sync. After finishing up a particularly difficult akuma, they both had proud grins on their faces.

"I feel like we should do something," Ladybug commented.

Black Cat stretched out his arm. "Fistbump?"

"Fistbump." Ladybug smiled and they did a fistbump.

Before they knew it, summer had started. The students of Kunugigaoka Middle School enjoyed the pool, except for those in 3-E, because it was too tiring for them to go down from their campus and up again.

"Let's go to the pool after school!" Nakamura suggested to Hayami.

"Who else is coming?" Hayami asked. She didn't want Nakamura to abandon her to talk with someone else. As much she liked being alone, being _lonely_ was a different matter.

"Hmm, Yada is going. You know her, right?"

Yada was one of Hayami's friends in her current class. They had first met by talking about fashion, which became their common factor.

Hayami wasn't sure how Nakamura met Yada, but since Nakamura was an extrovert, she probably had connections with a lot of people.

"If Yada's going, Kurahashi's going too." Hayami mused. Yada and Kurahashi were best friends, and one was rarely seen without the other.

"So that makes the four of us. See ya!" Nakamura said and walked away.

Later at the pool, Okajima was having a nosebleed.

"Mmmhmphh… that E cup is killing me…" he muttered, his eyes clouded with lust.

Sugaya and Chiba, who had came with him ( _why_ did they do that?), moved away and pretended not to know the pervert.

Chiba and Sugaya had became friends because of their mutual quietness and their hobby of creating things. Okajima just came over to Sugaya's table to talk about the girls Sugaya drew for practice. Sugaya wasn't admiring girls from the eye of a pervert, it was purely for artistic purposes, so sometimes they could have heated debates.

One time, Chiba saw Sugaya drawing Hayami. He marveled at the sketch. Every detail was intact, including curves of her hair and the way her serious eyes looked at her work.

But when Sugaya studied Hayami, Chiba suddenly felt rather uneasy.

Oh hell, what was he thinking? Sugaya wasn't a dirty-minded person. He was just trying to draw Hayami. Chiba took a breath, but that uneasy feeling remained.

Weird that he didn't feel the same when Sugaya was drawing other girls.

Back to the pool. Hayami had no choice but to put her hair back in pigtails, because if she didn't her hair would get into the way when she swam.

"Umm, Yada, that Okajima is staring at you," Hayami said to her friend.

The four girls turned to see the class pervert holding out his chin and his eyes fixed on Yada, or more specifically, her chest. It wasn't even that noticeable, because the school only let them wear one-piece swimsuits.

Yada self consciously covered her chest and turned away. "Come on, let's swim."

Kurahashi leapt into the water with a splash. "Wow, the water's so cool! Perfect for summer!" she beamed.

On the other end of the pool, they could see someone trying to coach someone else to swim.

"Hmm, is that Kataoka Megu from Class A?" Kurahashi asked. "I hear that she's good at swimming."

"Yes, that's her." Yada brushed the wet hair from her eyes. She tried to hide the blush on her cheeks. "Even with her packed schedule, she still finds time to coach others to swim. That's the Ikemegu for you."

Hayami stayed silent and just enjoyed the coolness of the water. Unfortunately, Nakamura had other plans.

"Heh heh heh…" Nakamura laughed sinisterly, her hands stretched out and fingers waving.

If any other person saw her, they would think Nakamura was going to tickle someone. But Hayami knew Nakamura's real, impure intentions.

"Nope." she said simply and ran away, or as fast as she could in the water. She crossed her arms over her chest protectively.

"Come back!" Nakamura laughed and ran after Hayami. She saw Yada and another idea popped into her head, blue eyes glittering. Hayami could imagine a light bulb flashing above Nakamura.

"Yada, watch out!" Hayami warned.

"Wha- aaaaahhh no!" Yada squeaked as Nakamura rubbed her breasts. "Stop it Rio-chan!"

"Hehehehe!" Nakamura cackled, but she didn't stop.

Nakamura could also be a pervert sometimes,but she kept it more hidden than Okajima did. Not to mention she also didn't approve of Okajima when they were in the same class in first year.

Kurahashi went to Hayami's side, a good way from Nakamura and Yada.

"...I feel bad for Touka-chan." Kurahashi sweatdropped, but she couldn't do anything to save her friend.

"Same." Hayami said, secretly thankful that Nakamura had averted her attention to Yada, or else _she_ would be the victim.

Okajima continued to have a nosebleed when he saw Nakamura and Yada. "Is they what they call yuri action… this is as hot as hell…"

Chiba and Sugaya completely ignored Okajima. They jumped in the water, and Chiba felt a chill run up his spine.

 _Why do I feel so cold and uncomfortable in the water?_ Chiba thought. _I was all right last summer._

"Look!" Sugaya pointed in a direction and broke Chiba out of his thoughts. "Those muscular guys are showing off. It's kind of infuriating."

"Yeah." Chiba replied shortly.

Sugaya sighed. "Summer's the time for people with good bodies to show off. The boys can show off their muscles, the girls can show off their curves. Too bad for skinny wimps like us."

* * *

In a corner, a girl was glaring at Yada, lips pursed. Even though she wasn't wearing a swimsuit, she still went to the pool, because someone she had an eye on was at the pool too.

"He only cares about big boobs, huh…" She looked down at her smaller chest. "Should've known. He's an idiot."

The girl's crush was laughing with his friends, pointing at girls with rather big assets. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.

"Females can't control their chest size! Why would we be judged for it?" Frustrated, the girl clenched her fists together. "It's unfair!" she yelled, but her voice was covered by the sound of water and people chattering.

She watched as her crush began to flirt with Yada. "I wish… I wish I have big boobs too… so that IDIOT of a WOMANIZER would actually look in my direction…"

The girl sighed. "You know what, I don't think I should even like you. You don't care about girls' feelings. I'm over you, Maehara Hiroto." Dejected, she started to walk away from the pool.

Just as her fury was starting to quench, a black butterfly fluttered by, and entered the seashell bracelet she wore as an effort to look more feminine. Instantly, a glowing purple mask appeared on the girl's face.

"Beach Babe, I am Kochou," a slightly hoarse voice introduced himself. "I can make you as attractive as big-chested girls, if you wish. You can win over your love easily. You can give all girls the power to woo men, and they will be helpless to it. I only ask for one thing in return: give me the ladybug and cat miraculouses, and you will receive the power of attractiveness in return. Do we have a deal?"

"Yes Kochou-sama," the girl growled, and a wave of black and purple spread across her body, transforming her clothes into something else...

* * *

"So," Maehara purred. "Will you go out with me?"

The entire school had heard of Maehara's womanizing habits. Yada laughed, but it was fake laughter. "Uhh, sorry, but I'm not really free…"

"Just flat out reject him," Hayami hissed, who was tired of Maehara.

A huge wave suddenly swept Maehara away from the girls. Surprised, the boy looked up and saw a familiar figure wearing a bikini and riding a surfboard. Her short black hair was flying in the wind, and there were electric blue highlights in it. There was an odd glint in her eyes, sending a shiver down Maehara's spine. The girl tossed her head up and laughed.

"Okano?" Maehara asked loudly, shocked. "Why are you wearing that...thing?"

"I'm not Okano!" the girl continued to laugh. "My name is Beach Babe!" She put her hands on her hips, the now-black seashell charm bracelet dangling on her right wrist. Appropriate to the weather and to her name, Beach Babe wore a fancy bikini and a frilly skirt. Maehara couldn't help but be drawn to her cleverage.

Beach Babe sighed. "Geez, you never learn. Stop being so obsessed with boobs!" she yelled and kicked Maehara in the gut, sending him flying out of the pool and his face slammed on the floor.

"Maehara!" his friends yelled and climbed out of the pool. Maehara lifted his face, which was red from the impact of the slam. His eyes were big as he looked at Beach Babe, who was controlling the water in the pool and creating huge waves. "Okano's been akumatized!"

Once he saw the scene, Chiba made a dash for the changing room, to his bag where he put his ring and Plagg. Everyone was busy fleeing the pool, so no one noticed him slip into the changing room.

Unfortunately, Yada, Hayami, Kurahashi and Nakamura were swept away by the waves when Beach Babe wanted to single out Maehara.

"Umm, we need help?" Nakamura said after an unsuccessful attempt to swim against the current. It was pressing against them on both sides, so they were stuck in the middle of the pool.

"Let's wait for Ladybug and Black Cat." Kurahashi said worriedly. "I do hope we can hold on."

Hayami was more worried than the rest of her three friends combined. She had her earrings, but Tikki was in her bag in the changing room. She hoped Black Cat could buy her some time to transform when he arrived.

Meanwhile, Beach Babe had completely forgotten about the four girls she had unintentionally trapped. Waving her hand, pink energy generated in her palm. She flung the energy at a girl, and the girl's clothes changed to a bikini. She shrieked and tried to cover herself.

"Show your girl power in the summer season!" Beach Babe cried and began flinging the pink energy all around, changing all the girls' clothes into more revealing and fancier swimsuits. Keeping her balance on her hot pink surfboard, she controlled the water to make it form waves for her to move around.

Some of the pink energy bounced off the walls and hit the four trapped girls.

"Wha-" Yada looked at her changed clothes. "This is way too revealing for me!" She used her arms to cover her chest again.

Beach Babe looked at what she caused with a satisfied smirk. A purple mask appeared on her face. "Don't forget the miraculouses!" Kochou hissed.

"Of course," Beach Babe said and saw the perfect hostages when she looked down. "Sorry girls, but I need you to lure the superheroes."

"This is actually cute," Kurahashi said, playing with the ribbon she found on her new swimsuit.

Nakamura was looking up and down Yada's body, to the other girl's panic and slight disgust. "I agree-"

"Look out!" Hayami yelled as waves suddenly towered over them from all sides. Her Ladybug side kicked in and she put her arms in front of her friends protectively.

Suddenly, the waves started lowering. Before they could take a breath, the water formed a pillar and the four girls started rising aa the water under them pushed them up.

"What's happening?" Yada gasped.

Beach Babe broke one of the glass panes making up the roof covering the swimming pool. They shielded their eyes from the glass shards, but when they opened them, the water had carried them onto the roof, and was gradually pushing them over the edge. Beach Babe was draining nearby water resources in order to get more power.

"Oh no." Hayami breathed. She hoped with all her might that Black Cat would show up soon.

The girls held each other in fear. Even Nakamura, who usually didn't appear to care about anything and was very breezy, looked scared. They tried to scoot away, but the water forbade them from moving too far away.

"Haha!" Beach Babe surfed around them, waving her hands so she turned female pedestrians' clothes into swimwear.

"Ladybug and Black Cat, you hear me? If you don't appear I'll kill them all!" Beach Babe cackled, gesturing to the four girls. A glowing butterfly mask appeared on her face as Kochou spoke to her. Beach Babe seemed displeased by what Kochou had said to her, but she still nodded rather reluctantly.

"Damn. It's water." Black Cat thought as he used his baton to push himself up through the hole the akuma had made in the roof. Before he transformed, Plagg had told him that one of the side effects of using the cat miraculous would be added sensitivity to water. This would be a tough akuma to beat if Ladybug didn't show up soon.

When he reached the roof, he saw the akuma and her hostages. Unfortunately for him, Ladybug was nowhere to be seen.

"Please help us!" Yada cried. The water was slowly pushing her and her friends to the edge of the roof. It was too strong for them to resist.

Black Cat leapt in front of Beach Babe. The akuma smirked. "So you've arrived." She moved her hands and a huge wave began to grow.

Black Cat realized that if he made the akuma focus all the water into something, there won't be any water left to push the girls down. He turned back and began to ran.

 _I got this,_ he muttered to himself, a hand on his baton.

Beach Babe was displeased, and she sent more water to make a taller wave that could cover him.

Black Cat turned back and saw the huge wall of water seconds from completely submerging him. _About time._ He grabbed his baton firmly and at the same time he ran as quickly as he could towards the gigantic wave.

Then, when he and the wave was about to meet, Black Cat dug his baton in the ground and propelled himself up and over. He extended the baton so it was long enough to pass the wave and toss him to the other side, where the hostages were.

Black Cat performed a backflip and landed on his feet perfectly. There was already a firefighter truck on the ground and they were saving the girls using a long ladder.

He smiled a bit in relief. Three of the four girls were already safe on the ground. Hayami, the last one, was about to climb down the ladder.

Beach Babe growled in frustration. "Take that!" she exclaimed and swung her arm in Black Cat's direction, sending a strong stream of water towards the boy.

Black Cat dodged it, and breathed in relief. Less than a second later, a loud gasp attracted his attention.

"Ah!" Hayami cried as the water hit her across her midriff, and as a result she was pushed off the building, plummeting to the ground.

"No!" Black Cat sprinted forward and leapt off the building, his green eyes wide in panic.

 _I have to save her!_ Black Cat thought desperately. He stretched out his arms.

Thankfully, he caught her and carried her bridal-style. Hayami looked up at him, and that was when it felt like time stopped.

Her soggy pigtails moved slightly in the wind, her lips parted in surprise. Due to the fact she was wearing a two-piece swimsuit, Black Cat could feel her bare skin against his leather suit.

His heart was pumping erratically, that was due to fear, but he had an inkling that it might also be because of the girl in his arms.

 _I BLAME OKAJIMA,_ Black Cat thought. _IT'S ALL HIS FAULT._

Hayami felt like she couldn't breath. From when she was knocked off to her current position, it all happened too fast.

But damn- she was being held bridal-style by her very attractive crush, not to mention his superhero status. Hayami had never been into romantic sappy stuff, but as cliché as it was, she felt like she was Black Cat's girlfriend like in those superhero movies.

Black Cat landed on the ground, and placed Hayami down.

"Thank you," Hayami said, putting on a poker face to hide the fact that she was screaming inside.

"You're welcome." Black Cat replied, and used his baton to push himself to the roof again, and to resume his battle with Beach Babe.

Hayami was so focused on watching Black Cat, she failed to notice someone walking to her and placing a blanket on her shoulders.

 _I forgot that we have people here._ Hayami thought. _It'll be difficult for me to escape._

Wrapping the blanket around her head, Hayami moved sideways to the entrance of the pool, trying not to look obvious. When she was sure nobody could see her, she dashed into the building, bare feet making loud slapping noises against the ground.

The pool was completely devoid of people and water, but there were glass shards everywhere. Hayami stepped carefully around them, calculating the shortest route to the female changing room.

"Rinka-chi!" a familiar voice cried, echoing in the empty building, and the ladybug kwami flew out.

"You ready?" Hayami asked, thankful that the kwami had discovered something was wrong and went out to find her.

"Let's go!" Tikki said energetically. Hayami brushed her hands over her ears, making sure her earrings were still on after all that trouble.

"Tikki, spots on!"

* * *

The unofficial truth was that Black Cat's weakness was water.

Beach Babe knew that after she had sprayed water on the cat hero and saw him shiver.

Ladybug was better at spotting the akumatized item, but she wasn't there yet. Black Cat wasn't too worried though. He knew he and Ladybug both lived in Kunugigaoka Town, and the attacks only happened in their town. She might be at on the other side of the town, making her way to the akuma attack.

When Black Cat let down his guard, Beach Babe raised her arms and a wave crashed onto him, leaving Black Cat vulnerable and weak. He shivered when the water came in contact with him, and rubbed his hands against his arms in an effort to be warmer.

An outline of a mask appeared on Beach Babe's face. "Get the ring!" Kochou whispered urgently.

Beach Babe surfed to Black Cat, an evil grin on her face. She reached out her left hand for Black Cat's ring-

Only to be slapped away by a yoyo. The akuma turned to look at Ladybug, and the yoyo shot back into Ladybug's hand.

Black Cat grinned. "Great timing."

"Sorry for being late," Ladybug apologized.

Black Cat sneezed and Ladybug looked at him worriedly. Ignoring his own condition, Black Cat whispered, "The akuma's in the bracelet on her right hand." He had figured it out when Beach Babe didn't use her right hand, also her dominant hand to take his miraculous.

"Any weaknesses?" Ladybug inquired, dodging a ball of pink energy that was sent at her.

"She seems to be very rash and doesn't think twice before acting. And she can only move on her surfboard." Black Cat required, spinning his baton so it became a shield. "We can use that to our advantage."

Beach Babe neared them, rapidly firing pink energy balls at them from her hands. Ladybug and Black Cat could back away, but soon they would reach the edge of the roof.

"The energy can only affect females. I'll cover for you while you get away and think of a plan." Black Cat stood in front of Ladybug, his eyes narrowed.

Ladybug wanted to argue with him, but there was no time. She leapt away and brainstormed on how to get the akumatized item.

Beach Babe, seeing that one of her targets had moved, changed her way of attacking. One hand commanded the water to go to Black Cat, and the other shot pink energy at Ladybug.

Ladybug spun her yoyo and the pink energy reflected off her shield. When she thought that the attack was over, she stopped spinning, but then a single ball of pink energy zoomed at her. Ladybug swatted it away, but what she didn't realize was that behind it was _another_ ball of pink energy which she couldn't dodge, and it hit her hand.

Instantly, her superhero suit glowed bright pink. Ladybug groaned internally- she knew where this was going and she didn't like it. Maybe her fans would love it though.

 _This is going to be way worse than the last one,_ Ladybug thought as the light faded. She just wore a red bikini with black spots on it, exposing her midriff, her thighs and legs.

Seeing that, Okajima immediately got a nosebleed again.

"It's… my idol… wearing a sexy bikini…" Okajima groaned as spurts of blood shot from his nose.

Her fans, who had gathered to watch the fight, whooped and cheered, but Ladybug wasn't happy at all. The suit that used to have protected most parts of her body now only covered a few certain places, leaving her with a lot of weak spots. _Dammit, Kochou._

 _That's way too inappropriate for a 14-year-old,_ Black Cat thought. He assumed Ladybug was the same age as he were, and he just had his fourteenth birthday a month or two ago. If she was just thirteen, Black Cat would have seriously thought of calling the police. He clenched his fist, annoyed at all those people wolf-whistling at her. Couldn't they find something decent to do?

Beach Babe continued to fling pink energy at Ladybug, who knew if she got hit she would be in immediate danger. Her speed and strength remained, but her endurance, not so much.

Meanwhile Black Cat leapt forward and began a hand-to-hand combat with Beach Babe, attempting to make her lose her balance. But a few moments later the akuma had the cat hero retreating.

 _How could I forget?_ Black Cat groaned internally. _Okano-san is part of the school's gymnastic team._ Gritting his teeth, he watched as the waves of water approached him. Jumping away, he panted as he saw Ladybug approach the akuma.

Ladybug continuously tried to get the seashell bracelet, since she was the more agile one of the duo, but it was difficult because she had to protect herself and the akuma's reflexes were lightning-quick.

After fighting for a while, Black Cat began to see sweat form on Beach Babe's face, and she began to breathe more heavily. The boy linked Beach Babe's exhaustion to the water she was controlling, and it hit him.

The more she controlled the water, the more tired she became. Making eye contact with Ladybug, he nodded towards Beach Babe then at the water. At first Ladybug was confused, but then understanding glowed in her eyes.

They had tired the akuma out enough. It was time for the final, killing blow.

"Lucky Charm!" Ladybug cried and tossed her yoyo in the air. After a few months of being a superhero, she had became bolder, so she didn't say things quietly. A fishing net dropped down.

"Hmm." Ladybug scanned the area, then looked down at the transparent glass panes. An idea popped out in her mind and she swung to where Black Cat was.

"Distract her then destroy that glass pane with a dent," she hissed, her bare feet slightly aching when she landed. "I'll be downstairs."

Black Cat nodded, and turned to face the akuma, spinning his baton. He made a mental note of where the glass pane Ladybug pointed out was.

"Looks like it's just you and me, akuma." Black Cat's confidence had also increased, but somehow that didn't apply to him when he was Chiba. Maybe it was because he still hid his eyes behind his self-made barrier, which was a symbol of his low self esteem and insecurities.

Ladybug swung herself inside the building again. Never letting her bare feet touch the floor, she swiftly and deftly tied the four corners of the net to the supporting poles, right under the glass pane Black Cat was supposed to break. Using her yoyo to clear a small area of glass shards, Ladybug stood on the floor, waiting for her prey to be snared in her trap.

Upstairs, Black Cat was doing a good job of distracting Beach Babe, so the akuma didn't notice the red and black figure working below. Black Cat knew Ladybug had finished her preparations, and decided to put his plan in motion.

"Cataclysm," he hissed, and as the black ball of energy pulsed in his arm, he hopped away, his fake tail flapping with the movement. "Catch me if you can!" he teased.

Beach Babe was exhausted, but she pushed herself to keep on going.

"You annoying cat!" she burst out, charging towards him on her surfboard. Black Cat gave her a cheeky grin, and lightly brushed his fingers against the glass pane in front of him. It immediately became dust and vanished in the wind.

"Ah!" Beach Babe didn't have time to stop herself, so she, her surfboard and the water she was controlling all fell down the hole. Using his baton, Black Cat lowered himself down, in case backup was needed.

"Brilliant!" Ladybug thought silently to herself. When Beach Babe landed in the net, the water passed through the holes in the net, removing Beach Babe of her primary attacking tool and transportation.

Ladybug tied the four corners of the net together, but she failed to notice that Beach Babe had managed to wriggle a hand out of a hole in the net.

"One… last… chance…" Beach Babe grunted, positioning her hand so it was pressed against Ladybug's stomach. Giving it a huge push, she shoved the superhero away.

Ladybug flew back, a red mark on her stomach, and crash-landed onto Black Cat, whose reflexes weren't quick enough to save a girl this time.

Peach coloured hair flew into Black Cat's eyes as Ladybug crashed on top of him. Her body was on top of his, but Ladybug was quick to correct that by rolling away.

They both looked away from each other, especially when they remembered what Ladybug was clothed in. Face as scarlet as her suit (or what was left of it), Ladybug grabbed the bracelet, breaking it easily.

Black Cat didn't seem to be as bothered by it as Ladybug was. Ladybug almost wished that she would fall down a hole and die from embarrassment, but she knew she had things to do. Work was her top priority, then her personal feelings.

"Time to devilize." Ladybug swung her yoyo and captured the akuma, then cleansed it.

Ladybug untied the four corners of the net, and let Beach Babe roll out. Grabbing the net, she flung it upwards while saying, "Miraculous Ladybug!"

Glowing ladybugs surrounded them, repairing the glass panes and to her delight, Ladybug's suit returned to normal. Beach Babe became Okano again, and she slowly sat up.

"What happened?" she asked groggily. "My memories aren't working." Then she saw the two superheroes and had a vague idea of what she became. "Ah, hell. Curse the akumas and Maehara. Especially Maehara."

Since Miraculous Ladybug repaired everything, water soon poured back into the swimming pool, where they were in. Without hesitation, Ladybug carried Okano to the outside of the pool. However, given his bad luck, Black Cat couldn't escape in time and was drenched from head to toe.

"Are you alright?" Ladybug asked Okano.

Okano smiled. "I'm fine. And I'm super sorry for the trouble I've caused, even though I don't know what it is."

"That's okay. It wasn't that bad." Black Cat joined in the conversation as he emerged from the pool, sneezing. He stretched out a hand for the usual fistbump.

Ladybug was too embarrassed to look at her partner after that… incident. She made her fist hit his and didn't say a word.

After they detransformed, Plagg ended up cackling for the rest of the day.

"Quite the ladies' man, aren't you?" Plagg laughed, tears in his eyes. "Two girls in one day- _two_!"

Chiba sat down on his bed, annoyed. His bangs flopped slightly upwards when he sat down. "That was hours ago. Stop laughing about it. And your laughter sounds horrible.

"Your face is red. Oooh, got a crush?" Plagg teased.

"Not." Chiba replied, but somehow the image of Hayami floated to his mind.

"You know, I never knew why people are so obsessed with romantic love." Plagg remarked as he took a huge bit of cheese. "Cheese is way better. Cheese is love, cheese is life."

Chiba turned away from his kwami and focused on his homework. "We all have different preferences."

"Like how you have a preference for that girl, eh?" Plagg chuckled hysterically.

In his bedroom, Chiba did his homework, with the loud laughs of Plagg in the background. The cat kwami was sure distracting, but there was something else on Chiba's mind…

* * *

 **A/N: I'm pretty sure this is like 90% fanservice and 10% plot. Also, it's only chapter three and there's a lot of romantic tension. I have a problem.**

 **Anyways please read and review! I would love to hear feedback.**


	4. Split Personalities

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.**

* * *

 **A/N: This chapter will feature Nesoberi plushies. If you don't know about it I suggest you to google it now. If you're lazy I'll tell you a nesoberi is a plushie with a huge head and a small body, but it's better to get an image of it.**

* * *

Summer.

"Kid, it's the holidays." Plagg yawned as he woke up to Chiba vacuuming his room. "Do you _have_ to get up this early?"

Maybe spending time with the cat kwami really did have an influence on Chiba. "Yeah that's because between chores, babysitting, the huge load of homework the school assigns us, akuma fights and patrols I have a lot of time," Chiba answered sarcastically.

"I've been spending a few months with you, and I've never seen you do anything other than work. What do you do for fun?" Plagg asked.

"Hmm." Chiba turned off the vacuum cleaner. "Work is fun."

Plagg hit himself in his face. "Get out with your friends! Enjoy the sun! Eat some cheese but don't eat mines! I don't understand you at all. You really need some fun in your life, or else you'll become the emo you look like."

Chiba pushed the vacuum cleaner outside of his room, ignoring Plagg's comment. Plagg gave an exasperated sigh and flopped back on Chiba's bed.

A beep from the phone caught Plagg's attention. The kwami flew over and checked Chiba's messages.

"The Ladyblog has a new update." Plagg muttered. "Nothing about cheese though. Wait- Ladybug and Black Cat Nesoberi plushies?"

* * *

Hayami froze when she saw the new update on the Ladyblog. Eyes focused on her computer screen, she scrolled down until she saw the promotion pictures for the plushies.

Hayami stared and stared. Then she made some sort of weird screech and buried her face in her arms.

"Are you okay?" Tikki asked, hovering beside Hayami.

"No." Hayami muttered, her face red. Tikki peered at the pictures.

"They're pretty cute. That's Japan for you." Tikki admired them.

"...Yeah…" Hayami's green eyes were narrowed as she glared at the picture. "It's cute. It's the cutest thing I've ever seen in my whole life."

"I suppose you'll want a Nesoberi of Black Cat." Tikki remarked.

Hayami remained silent. "It's embarrassing though," she said finally.

Tikki moved the mouse and clicked on a picture of the Black Cat plushie to enlarge it. The plushie had big round eyes and hair made out of felt, and two cat ears. There was even a bell around its neck. Seeing that immediately set Hayami into "fangirl mode".

"Hnnnnnnn!" Hayami made a sound like a dying whale, jumped on her bed and rolled around, while cuddling one of the many cat plushies that lined her bed.

"So cute so cute so cute so cute," the girl squealed repeatedly, pink hair splaying out on the bed. Tikki was amused to see her usually stoic holder act in such a way.

Recollecting herself, Hayami stopped rolling, and cringed when she thought of her earlier ways. "I've become one of those idiotic Black Cat fangirls," she muttered, embarrassed.

"But you're not an idiot," Tikki said kindly. "And you _do_ have a chance to end up with him, because you're each other's best friends!" She tried to encourage her holder, hiding the fact that if neither of them died there would be a 100% chance that they would end up together.

"Yeah. That's what we think of each other. As friends." Hayami sat up, the cat plushie lying in her lap. "I'm not exactly ready."

"So, are you getting the Black Cat plushie? It's pretty rare, there are only 15 of them and they can only be won in UFO catchers, in arcades all over the town. They'll be released two weeks from now." Tikki noted.

"Only 15 of them…" Hayami held her chin. "This is going to be an ambitious plan. UFO catchers are hard, and I've never really tried to play them before."

Hayami's expression turned serious as she brainstormed of ways to get one of those plushies. Her eyes wandered to her computer screen and her expression immediately melted into a much more milder one. "Gah! He's adorable!" she squealed, and Tikki thought she nearly saw hearts appear in her eyes.

"Okay… so I have a split personality now…" Hayami muttered as she returned to normal.

"Just a reminder, you have to get them before the diehard fans of Black Cat. And there's a lot of them, but only a few plushies." Tikki said.

"I know." Hayami sprang from her bed to her bag, where she kept her purse. "I need to get more 100 yen coins… and I have to wake up early that day…"

Tikki watched in amusement as Hayami wrote down the things she would need to do to get the plushie. It was funny because Hayami treated her mission as a school project or something. Her holder was really too serious for her own good.

* * *

Chiba was convinced that something strange would happen at nighttime.

It was as if somebody pressed a button, because he and Ladybug suddenly became more open (not _too_ open though) at their midnight patrols than when they were fighting akumas.

Ladybug, in particular, would be more relaxed, compared to her poker face when she was dealing with akumas. For some reason Ladybug had taken an intense liking to him, showing her affection by petting his head, which he always accepted with a somewhat forced smile.

It was a bit degrading to be seen as a cute kitty, especially for a person as stoic as he was, but Chiba didn't want to hurt Ladybug's feelings so he didn't say a thing.

That day, there was an akuma attack near the station next to the Kunigigaoka Station, which meant the attacks were spreading out from their town. Which also meant they had to patrol areas near their town too.

Spreading a map out on his desk, he had marked down where the akuma attacks took place, in hopes of finding Kochou's lair. So far they had no clue, as the attacks seemed to take place randomly.

There was a knock on the door, and Chiba quickly spread out some books to seem like he was studying. Plagg was unaffected by the disturbance, until Chiba grabbed him and shoved him under his pillow with a muffled screech from Plagg.

"Oh. Mom." Chiba greeted when his mother came into the room. His mother was a sweet, gentle woman, and since Chiba had been serious and quiet ever since he was a kid, his mom didn't want to disturb him. And that was why she always knocked before entering his room.

She set down a plate of sliced apples on his desk. "Don't sleep too late," she reminded him and then exited the room.

Chiba felt slightly guilty that he was lying to his parents about studying. He _did_ study, but he spent some time patrolling, so it wasn't a complete lie.

He stuck a toothpick into one of the apple slices and ate it, before pulling the map out from under his books and memorizing the different roads in the nearby towns. The hour ticked by as Chiba saw there were only five minutes before his designated meeting time with Ladybug. He transformed and climbed out of the window, and the hot air immediately enveloped him. It was a stuffy change from the air-conditioned room the boy had been enjoying moments earlier.

A heat wave had hit Tokyo, so that night was said to be one of the hottest nights of the year. Even though the sun had gotten down, it was still very stuffy, reminding Black Cat of the inside of an oven.

He hopped over to the library, and even though it wasn't very physically exhausting, beads of sweat started to form on his forehead. He wiped them away with his hand.

It didn't help that he was wearing a skin tight suit, making him even hotter (in terms of temperature, not in terms of attractiveness, although the latter may be true). The breeze that blew by also carried warm air, making matters worse.

In the distance, he could see Ladybug hopping over. "Hi." he greeted.

"Hello." Ladybug said. Normally, she would have petted his head, but the weather was too hot and she felt sticky all over. _I'll be needing a bath when I get back,_ she thought.

"Let's begin." Black Cat took out his staff and turned on the screen, and a map showed up with neon green highlighting their paths to the other town. Using that as a guide, he lead the way.

* * *

 **FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER**

The two masked heroes were walking briskly across the rooftops of their town. So far, they hadn't spotted any crimes happening, which was good. However, the heat only seemed to intensify with every passing minute, which was _not_ good.

Even with her major crush on her partner, Ladybug kept her distance from Black Cat, because his body heat would just warm them even more.

They happened to be walking past a river, and the same, unprofessional thought instantly came to the superheroes' minds.

 _I want to jump into the river._

Of course, that was a bad idea, because if anyone caught them, they would be seen as slacking off, and given the two's mindsets, they definitely didn't want people to think of them as lazy. Not to mention the river was probably polluted, and if they got wet they would look like two drenched chickens, and that would be embarrassing.

"I know what you're thinking," Black Cat said, staring at the dark river, which was rippling slightly.

"Just one word: nope." Ladybug gave a curt reply, and they continued their way.

* * *

 **TWENTY MINUTES LATER**

They had finished patrolling the towns to the east and north of Kunigigaoka Town, they just had to do the ones on the west and the south.

Problem was that they were both drenched in sweat from head to toe. They could've stood there in the rain and it wouldn't make them wetter.

They found a weird guy stalking a girl, so they took care of him swiftly and escorted the girl home. After that little run-in, both Ladybug and Black Cat were in desperate need of water, which the girl and her parents were happy to provide. After a quick break and expressing their gratitude, the superhero duo set off again. Despite the weather conditions, they didn't waver in their work, nor did they complain. They didn't even talk much to each other to save energy and breath.

Ladybug was getting a bit frustrated (just a little, mind you) because of the constant silence between them. Ever since she saw the notice for the Nesoberi plushies, she had wanted to see the real Black Cat, and talk like they used to do. It didn't feel right to start a conversation at that moment, so she kept quiet.

* * *

 **THIRTY MINUTES LATER**

"Are you okay?" Black Cat asked his polka-dotted friend, noticing she seemed to be doing worse than he was.

"I'm fine." Ladybug replied, but she was panting and struggling to keep up. "Just a couple more blocks and then we'll be finished."

"Finishing our patrol or the weather finishing us?" Black Cat remarked drily. Good grief, Plagg was having such an impact on him.

"Haha. Very funny." Ladybug wasn't sure when did she become so sarcastic, but it was probably because of her mood being affected by the weather.

"And… we're… done!" Black Cat announced when they had finished their patrol.

"Good." Ladybug flopped down and sat on the roof, furiously wiping her face of sweat.

"We just have to go back." Black Cat said, pointing in the general direction of where Kunigigaoka town was.

"Okay." Ladybug stood back up immediately, ignoring her sore legs. "Let's go back."

"Wait." Black Cat said. "I don't think either of us have the energy to make our way back."

"So buy something from the convenience stores here." Ladybug suggested. "One of us can change back to civilian form. I have money on me."

"I'll go." Black Cat volunteered. "I'll buy some drinks. You'll stay here."

Ladybug wrinkled her nose. "No, I can go."

"I'm going."

"I don't mind going. I'll do it."

"Don't bother yourself, it's not a big deal for me."

They stopped when they realized they sounded like two immature kids squabbling.

"...Are you saying I'm not capable of doing that?" Ladybug asked, her tone a tad colder than her usual tone.

"No!" Black Cat said, surprised that she would think like that. He hesitated before saying, "I'm just… concerned. About you."

 _That was unnecessarily mushy,_ Black Cat thought. He cringed inwardly when he thought of what he had just said. _She probably thinks I'm a huge weirdo._

If Ladybug's face wasn't already rosy from physical exertion, she would have looked like a tomato because of Black Cat's comment. She refused to make eye contact with him and looked down.

Black Cat took Ladybug's silence as cue that he should be the one to buy something. "Well, I'm going," he said, and jumped off the roof.

* * *

 **FIVE MINUTES LATER**

"I thought you were only getting drinks."

"That was the original plan." Black Cat looked sheepishly at the ice cream cones in his hands. "But I couldn't resist."

Ladybug sweatdropped. "You can improve on your self-control." she commented as she took an ice cream cone. "Thanks."

They hopped leisurely back to their starting point, chatting while eating ice cream. It was a refreshing treat for both of them. After their gruelling work, it seemed normal that they deserved something.

"Oh yeah, I have to pay you." Ladybug remembered.

"Nah, don't. My treat." Black Cat said. Before Ladybug could say a word, he added, "I insist."

"You sure are a good person." Ladybug said, a warm feeling blossoming in her heart. Not only was Black Cat nice on the outside, but he was also nice on the inside. Maybe that was why Ladybug liked him so much.

Black Cat was pleased to hear that. Most of his classmates didn't really care for him, nor was interested to know him after seeing his appearance.

"So, see you next patrol," he said.

Ladybug stepped forward and petted his head gently before retreating quickly, a shy smile on his face. "See you," she said and leapt away.

Black Cat ran to the opposite direction to his home. _It seems like she won't stop petting my head. I wonder why._

* * *

At precisely half past seven AM, the alarm went off. Hayami shut her alarm clock and sat up, determination glowing in her eyes.

 _Battle Plan… START!_

Hayami had done a lot of things to prepare herself for that day, such as keeping as many 100 yen coins as she could, searching up tips on using UFO catchers and strategically looking for a place that not many people would go to lessen competition.

Hayami took her fangirling very seriously. If she didn't get one of those Nesoberi plushies she would be so disappointed.

She tied her hair in a half ponytail, hoping no one would recognize her. Grabbing two purses filled to the brim with coins and putting them in her bag, she set off, walking purposefully to her destination.

When she arrived, there was no one there, not even the workers. Hayami looked at the time and realized there was an hour and half until they would be released.

 _Well, I'm going to wait._ Hayami took out her phone and scrolled through her news feed.

After a while, Hayami saw some other fans arriving. The arcade she chose only had two Ladybug plushies and two Black Cat plushies, so some fans were disappointed that they won't be getting a chance to get one of those plushies.

Hayami was suddenly afraid that Okajima might be there too, since he had been a huge fan of her alter ego after her "tsundere" comment. She scanned the area, but fortunately she didn't see anyone she knew (not that she knew a lot of people).

Hayami turned to see the person that was behind her in the line for getting a Black Cat plushie. To her surprise, Hayami recognized the girl as the owner of the Ladyblog. She was filming a live excitedly.

"...now I'm going to get a Black Cat Nesoberi, while my boyfriend's going to get a Ladybug one. We hope that we can get both so we can take the two plushies and make them kiss! That's our ultimate goal!"

"Now, I think they're about to begin. Stay tuned, everyone! I'll let you see if I get any results." The live ended and the girl put her phone back.

"You're the person in charge of the Ladyblog." Hayami said.

The girl grinned. "Yup, that's me. Nice to meet you, fellow fan!"

"N-nice to meet you." Hayami returned the courtesy. "Are you going to film yourself playing the UFO catcher?"

"Yeah. I've practiced a lot. I _do_ hope I'll get one." the girl replied.

"Then… will you accidentally film me?" Hayami asked, expressing her worries ever since she saw the girl and was reminded of the Ladyblog's popularity. She surely didn't want, let's say, Nakamura to see her.

"No. You're in front of me, so unless you stick around my try you won't get filmed." the girl answered. "I respect those who don't want to be on my blog."

"That's good." Hayami replied, and then somebody cried, "The arcade is open!"

The door opened and the fans would've surged into the arcade if the workers didn't direct them to go in a line. Hayami was triumphant that she was the first to have a go at the Black Cat plushie.

Seeing the adorable plushie in real life made Hayami want to go into a fangirl fit right there, but she knew she had work to do. Taking out one of her purses, she inserted the coins. Hayami rubbed her hands and her eyes were fixed on her goal, heart pumping in nervousness and anticipation.

 _Ladybug luck, please be on my side._

Hands trembling, she put them on the controls. Carefully guiding them, she hit the "down" button. She didn't expect her first try to be a success. The claw gently nudged the plushie towards the chute, but it didn't budge.

Hayami's tactic was to push the plushie closer to the chute by each try, since she knew the grip of the claws were too weak.

Over the next few tries, Hayami got a basic grasp of how the catchers worked. Sometimes they would twist to the right, sometimes the left. This unpredictable feature made it even harder for Hayami.

10 tries. 15 tries. As the number of tries increased, Hayami's frustration increased too. Her hands were sweaty, making it harder to grasp the controls.

 _There goes 2000 yen,_ Hayami thought, rummaging in her purse for more coins. _Well, it's expected. I'm a slave for this plushie._

Hayami sighed as the claw rose up without a prize again. The neon lights were flashing as if mocking her.

 _But… I won't give up!_

Hayami took a deep breath, silently saying a prayer to the gods, and tried again. And again. And again.

 _3000 yen lost._ Beads of sweat formed on Hayami's forehead. She had 2000 yen left to spare, but what if she couldn't get the plushie? Wouldn't that be a total waste of money, time and effort?

WIth this discouraging prospect looming ahead, Hayami started to feel desperate, but she forced herself to keep calm and try and try again.

Finally, at the 33th try, the plushie was pushed into the chute. Completely forgetting herself, Hayami screamed, "YES!" and did a mini victory dance. The line behind her also cheered, amused by this crazy fangirl.

Hands trembling with excitement, she gently took the plushie and looked at it as if it was the world's greatest treasure. "SO CUTE!" she squealed and hugged the plushie, before carefully placing in a plastic bag to keep it clean.

In very high spirits, Hayami placed her purse back in her bag and walked away, still hugging the plastic bag with the Black Cat plushie in it. She felt invincible- she had gotten one of the fifteen plushies of Black Cat!

Nothing could dampen her mood. Absolutely nothing. Until-

"Rinka?"

Hayami froze and returned abruptly to reality. _Oh no. Please don't recognize me, please don't recognize me-_

"That's you right, Rinka?"

Hayami started to edge away, back facing the person who was calling her name. Hayami knew the voice was Yada's, and she was at least thankful it wasn't Nakamura, but what she did back then was totally embarrassing!

Hayami broke into a mad dash, clutching her plushie. She buried half of her red face behind the bag.

"Oi! Wait!" Yada cried, and ran after the pink haired girl, her ponytail swaying left and right. The girl she was chasing was definitely Hayami, given her reaction.

It was at times like this that Hayami forgot about the streets she had been patrolling for a few months, and foolishly ran into a dead end. Wondering if she could somehow climb away, Yada reached her, panting. Yada placed her hand on Hayami's shoulder and turned her around. Hayami tried to hide her face using the bag.

"Stop it. I know it's you." Yada said, a bit entertained at Hayami's efforts to hide herself.

"..." Hayami slowly lowered the bag, face as red as a tomato. "Yada," she greeted as cooly as ever.

"What are you doing here?" Yada asked.

"What are _you_ doing here?'

"I was visiting my aunt who lives near here." Yada replied. "Now it's your turn."

Hayami didn't speak, the rustling of plastic bags being the only thing that could be heard. Yada's attention turned to the bag, raising an eyebrow.

"I didn't know you were such a fan of Black Cat." Yada commented, coming to conclusions quickly.

"I-IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!" Hayami replied hotly. "I- I was getting it for someone else!" she defended herself quickly.

Yada didn't believe her. "Yeah, right. Blowing 3300 yen for a plushie. For someone else." She deadpanned.

Hayami fell silent.

"It's okay." Yada sighed. "I'm not like Rio. I won't tell anyone about this if you wish."

Hayami was glad for her friend. "Then don't tell anyone." she said.

"Alright." Yada promised.

* * *

"It's so cute." Hayami said later when she placed her plushie on her bed. She petted its head as if the plushie was a real cat. "Such a cutie."

"So after all your tries, it turned out to be successful." Tikki smiled. "This shows you to never give up!"

"Yeah." Hayami stared lovingly at the plushie, squishing the plushie's cheeks together. "Awww." she cooed. She placed it on top of her massive pile of cat plushies. The girl was an avid cat plushie collector, as Tikki had learned.

"There you go. Black Cat, king of all cats." Hayami declared smugly.

A beep from the phone caught her attention. Hayami turned on the screen and saw that the girl from the Ladyblog had posted something new. It was a picture of the Ladybug Nesoberi and the Black Cat Nesoberi facing each other, with other merchandise of the superheroes in the background. The caption below said, " _Look! We got them! Aren't they adorable?_ "

The next picture made Hayami turn red. The plushies were now kissing, or basically their mouths were touching, and hearts had been edited in the photo.

 _Oh my gosh…_ Hayami stared at the picture, before turning off her phone and putting it away. _That's enough internet for today._

Meanwhile, Chiba was out shopping. On his way to the supermarket, he passed one of arcades that had the exclusive plushies. To his amusement, he saw Okajima groaning outside the arcade.

"Are you okay?" Chiba asked.

Okajima sighed. "I couldn't get the Ladybug Nesoberi… I ran out of money…"

"How much did you bring?"

"1000 yen."

"That's too little. And if you really wanted to get the plushie, you shouldn't spend all your money on buying… your stuff." They both knew that Chiba was referring to Okajima's porn magazines.

"Hey, have you seen the new pic?" Okajima asked. He shoved his phone in Chiba's face, nearly breaking the poor guy's nose. Chiba moved away automatically, as Okajima used to show him pictures of girls before realizing boobs had literally zero effect on him.

"Ah." Chiba looked at the picture of the Ladybug and Black Cat plushies kissing. If they were alone, Chiba knew Plagg would have made one of those aggravating "oooooh" noises.

"That's not going to happen!" Okajima cried angrily. "Ladybug is ending up with me! My sweet tsundere princess!"

Chiba didn't want to hear Okajima lament, so he excused himself and went on his way. Suddenly, he heard a sudden screech from the arcade. Chiba turned around and saw a teenage girl holding a plushie of his alter ego and screaming loudly, "I GOT HIM!"

"Fangirls are crazy." He muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets. "It's kind of disgusting to see them act in this way."

 _Well, that's too bad for Ladybug,_ Plagg thought when he heard his holder's comment. _But why should I care when cheese is my true love?_

* * *

 **A/N: I forgot to mention in earlier chapters that you can suggest akumatized versions of characters from Assassination Classroom via review or PM. Except Koro-sensei, because he's already way too powerful. Chiba and Hayami can't be akumatized when they're miraculous holders in this fic, so you can't suggest akuma forms for them too.**

 **So okay, since school has started, updates may come slower. I'm sorry!**

 **And please read and review! Thanks!**


	5. New Platform, New Identities

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.**

* * *

"Fistbump?"

"Yeah."

Ladybug and Black Cat did a fist bump, as the cameras clicked around them. A beep sounded from the miraculouses, the ring and the earrings.

"Gotta go." Ladybug prepared to leave, but a tap on her shoulder stopped her. "Yes?" the girl turned around to see the owner of the Ladyblog.

"I won't bug you two for interviews and signatures, but the Ladyblog's getting a forum update this afternoon." She thrust two slips of paper into the superheroes' hands. "Here are codes so you can access to the site extra early, and create your accounts so there will be no fake accounts." she explained why she gave them the papers.

"Okay. Thanks." Black Cat folded up the paper. As he did that, another beep sounded from Ladybug's earrings.

"You're down to two spots," Black Cat informed her, as he knew she couldn't see the spots lefts by herself.

"Well, bye for now." Ladybug used her yoyo to swing herself away. Her earrings gave one final beep, and she landed behind a tree and detransformed in a flurry of red light.

"That was a close call," Hayami muttered as Tikki zoomed in her bag. The girl peeped around to make sure no one caught her transforming from Ladybug to Hayami, then she looked at the piece of paper in her hand. She put it in her skirt pocket and adjusted the bow on her uniform.

Black Cat also bounded away and detransformed. After he turned into Chiba, he patted his bangs to make sure they were still in place. He was self conscious like that, and he did that every time he turned into his civilian form.

Plagg landed on his shoulder and hissed, "Have you ever thought about knowing Ladybug's identity?"

"No. We have to keep it a secret." Chiba replied, and gestured for Plagg to hide when he heard people chattering.

It was just his luck that the akuma attack had occurred during lunch break. Hayami had been able to sneak out and fight, but Sugaya and Okajima had dragged him out to watch the fight. That would not had been a problem, except that Chiba, or Black Cat was supposed to be in the fight, not to watch it.

So Ladybug had to hold it out on her own while Chiba had to make up excuses and run away hurriedly.

Chiba walked out from his hiding place and pretended to be part of the students that had been watching the akuma attack. Lunch break was almost over, and unfortunately for him, he hadn't even gotten a bite of food. He had to do some work for others, then he had to watch Ladybug fighting the akuma, and then he had to transform.

Summer holidays had ended, and they had to go back to school. Chiba was almost glad, because he would have work to do. And he liked working.

Chiba sneaked back into the classroom, and got out his bento box. Just as he picked up his chopsticks, the bell rang, signalling the end up lunch. Normally, Chiba would have stopped and put away his lunch, as he always followed the rules, but today was an exception.

He hungrily scarfed down a few spoonfuls of rice, and he ate half of a boiled egg in two bites. He stuffed the other half in his mouth, then decided that would be enough. He would just eat it after school.

Hayami dashed to the classroom, and flung open the door. Lunch break had ended. The girl sighed internally and went to her seat. She had promised to do some project work for a classmate, but instead, she had spent most of the lunch break fighting. She had wanted to do the work the second lunch started, but Tikki had convinced her to eat first. And Hayami knew she couldn't say no to Tikki, because Tikki was almost always right. Hayami also trusted the kwami's advice and judgement, seeing she had been alive for like 5000 years.

Chiba had been surprised when Hayami suddenly entered the classroom. He felt embarrassed that a classmate had caught him eating so frantically, but Hayami didn't even look in his direction. His eyes followed the girl to her seat, and then she took out the books needed for the next lesson.

Hayami quietly gave Tikki a cookie, and she brushed her hair away from her face as she studied her notes, written neatly by hand and a few keywords were highlighted. Hayami's worst subject was Physics, but she didn't complain, she just tried harder to study it.

"Hey, Hayami-san? Have you finished the work?" A girl with short, bobbed brown hair strode in the classroom and approached Hayami's deck.

Hayami gave a half-grimace. "Sorry, I haven't finished it." she answered honestly.

The other girl crossed her arms and looked at Hayami with distaste. "Huh. You probably got distracted by the akuma fight."

Hayami wanted to counter that the girl herself had been watching the fight, and it was she who had told her to do the work, leaving Hayami with the burden while the other girl could enjoy some free time. But of course Hayami couldn't say that out loud, so she just nodded mutely.

"I honestly expected you to have finished it." The girl told her bluntly.

"I'm sorry." Hayami said immediately, ignoring the slight sting of pain that panged her heart. "I'll finish it after school." she promised.

"You better," the girl said darkly and walked away, talking with her friends. Hayami heard her name and then the snide comment "I expected better"...

Hayami despised letting people down. She was determined to fulfill her duty of being Ladybug and a student. She would not allow any failures. Gripping her pen, Hayami stared at the blackboard in front of the classroom, waiting for the teacher and another lesson.

* * *

After school, Hayami sat in the classroom, quietly finishing her work, or rather someone else's work. Chiba was packing his books, when his eyes caught sight of the studious girl. His hidden eyes narrowed when he saw the girl. He hadn't seen her during the summer holidays, but somehow he began to care about her, more than he did for his other classmates. Maybe it was because they were so similar in personality, so she felt relatable to him.

Chiba walked briskly out, and when he returned home, he took out his half-eaten bento and sat in front of his computer. He typed the web address of the Ladyblog without thinking much about it. He had used the webpage so much he had memorized the web address. Chiba stuffed some rice in his mouth as he took out the carefully folded piece of paper. There was a thunk from behind him as Plagg rummaged through Chiba's bag for some cheese. Chiba ignored his kwami and typed in the code.

Instantly, a brand new layout of the webpage popped up. Chiba was impressed by it, and spent the next few minutes clicking around it, exploring the new features. He noticed that a PM function had been set for him and Ladybug, which would be useful in contacting the other while they were in civilian form, without revealing their identities.

Speaking of Ladybug, Chiba wondered when could she be online, so they could test the PM function out together. He reclined in his chair, waiting for his partner.

On the other side, Hayami plopped down in her chair by her desk, fingers rapidly typing the code she had. After staying behind at school, she had to rush home to make it before the official release of the new Ladyblog update.

Hayami had to click around for a while to get a hang of the new functions. Finding her PM chat with Black Cat, the girl typed a quick "Hi" and shrunk her hand away from the keyboard as if it was lava, nervous to see what he would say.

The response came seconds later. "Hello" was the message he sent.

Chiba was moderately pleased to see that his partner hadn't vanished mysteriously. It kind of proved that she was just like him, a student with duties to do.

 _ **Hi**_

 **Hello**

 _ **This sure makes communicating easier.**_

 **Yeah, we can talk with each other no matter the time**

 _ **And we don't have to know each other's identities.**_

 **Yup**

Chiba was glad for this invention. It had been he who had said they shouldn't reveal themselves. Secretly, he was self conscious of his real form, because he thought his eyes were scary. He didn't want to creep out Ladybug, and besides, she seemed to really like him, so he didn't want to disappoint her by showing her his real, lame self.

 _ **By the way**_

 _ **Do you use text speech?**_

 **No**

 _ **I don't either**_

Hayami, being a friend of Nakamura, had her fair share of seeing texts like "lol what's up" and abbreviations like "idk" and "idc". Hayami knew it was quicker to type that way, but being the perfectionist she was, she preferred to use normal sentences with proper grammar and spelling.

On the other side, Plagg was snickering at the computer screen, to Chiba's annoyance.

"If a love between masked superheroes isn't bad enough, we now have an 'internet friend' love." The kwami commented, tail flicking. He then suddenly zoomed and ran over the keyboard, typing nonsense with his feet.

"Plagg!" Chiba scolded and tried to grab his kwami on the keyboard, who quickly flew away from his grasp. Chiba ended up accidentally smashing on some buttons and sent a text made out of random letters and symbols to Ladybug.

 **cdsj-230k;sqs'buill'** **]sajkvjhjks**

 _ **?**_

 **Sorry, that was my kwami**

 _ **Oh, okay**_

In order to stop Plagg from fooling around, Chiba took out a piece of cheese and flung it on his bedside table. Plagg immediately latched onto it, munching it frantically as if his lifeline depended on it. Letting out a small sigh, the boy turned back to the screen.

 _ **Your kwami doesn't seem to be well behaved.**_

Hayami realized that they had never talked about kwamis before. It was probably because if they discussed it in open, people would know how miraculouses worked, and that might attract more potential enemies.

 **That seems about right.**

After a few months of knowing Plagg and becoming a superhero, Chiba was sure that some of Plagg's sarcasm and attitude had been transferred to him. Chiba knew there was truth to this, because when he transformed into Black Cat, Plagg also went into his outfit so they were essentially one being.

 **Is yours ok?**

 _ **She's really nice and helpful**_

 **Maybe it's a Ladybug thing**

 _It is,_ Plagg agreed mentally, green eyes trained on the screen as he gobbled down the last bits of cheese. A bitter feeling stabbed him through his chest, as he remembered the past holders he had looked after, the countless Black Cats vowing to protect their Ladybug with their life-

 _ **Just my luck.**_

"I'm lucky to have you, right?" Hayami turned to the spot where Tikki should be, but instead of the red, bug-like creature, a plushie of Black Cat's head stared at her.

Hayami stared back at the plushie for a few seconds before tearing her eyes away. Tikki zoomed from behind the plushie, giggling.

 **If anything weird pops up from me, it's probably some joke made by my kwami**

 **So look out**

 _ **Got it.**_

Apparently Tikki had a mischievous side too. Hayami stood up and immediately fixed the plushie back on its throne made out of other cat plushies.

On Chiba's side, the screen suddenly turned black. Somewhat mystified, the boy moved his mouse around until a page popped up, with the message "Oops! Looks like this page isn't available!".

He looked at the glowing digits of his clock, which read 5:00. No wonder, the new Ladyblog update had just been released to the public. Everyone must had been trying to visit the page, which caused it to lag and stop working.

After a few minutes, the problem was resolved, and a forum chat started. Different usernames began to pop up, and Chiba discovered that he and Ladybug had official-looking tags to differentiate them from civilian accounts.

Among the usernames, Chiba saw some names like " **ladybug_waifu** " and " **ladybugxblackcat-otp** ", and ones that aren't related to the superheroes, like " **hatsune-miku-queen** ", " **mangafan** " and " **有鬼子** ". He wondered whether he should make a second account for his civilian self as not to seem suspicious, since he knew most of his classmates were avid followers of the blog.

But that was when he saw a familiar username, and Chiba's covered eyes widened slightly. The username " **artsy-bean-pole** " stood out among the other ones, because Chiba knew that was the internet name Sugaya went with. The boy had once told Chiba that he had began to publish his drawings online, which, he proudly stated, gained praise and followers. Chiba thought Sugaya's artistic talent was pretty amazing, especially because Chiba himself often had ideas he wanted to draw, but his drawings could never match the image he had in his mind.

" **artsy-bean-pole** " began to post some sketches on the forum named "FANART!". They were all pencil drawings of him and Ladybug in various poses, with some notes scribbled beside them. Chiba could recognize Sugaya's style, and remembered him showing him his work at school. A few seconds later, people began to comment.

 **mangafan** : not bad at all, artsy-bean-pole. proportions are good, the eyes don't look weird, and they don't look too fake. thumbs up!

 **hatsune-miku-queen** : Finally! 2D Ladybug!

 **ladybugxblackcat-otp** : very nice but do u hv love dovey drawings of them? i wanna see them artsy-bean-pole

 **ladybugxblackcat-otp** : *lovey

 **artsy-bean-pole** : Wait.

Then Sugaya posted a few fully coloured drawings of Black Cat and Ladybug kissing, holding hands and even the famous kabedon, or the "wall slam". Chiba felt his face heat up when he saw those scandalous and totally untrue drawings, while Plagg cackled loudly. Covering his face, he peered through his bangs, then typed a short message, but he didn't send it.

 **mangafan** : OHMYGODasdfghjkl

 **ladybugxblackcat-otp** : my pores are clear, my crops have been watered, my prayers hv been answered. i love u.

 **mangafan** : imscREAMING I LOVE YOU ARTSY BEAN POLE! OH MY GOD! THOSE DRAWINGS ARE AMAZING! *fangirling intensifies*

 **artsy-bean-pole** : Thanks

 **Black Cat** : ...

 **有鬼子** : Your drawings are really nice! Please continue to draw more!

 **artsy-bean-pole:** OH MY GOSH IT'S BLACK CAT

 **ladybugxblackcat-otp:** wow geez this is exciting.

 **hatsune-miku-queen** : 2D Ladybug is good. Very good.

 **有鬼子** : Nice to meet you, Black Cat!

Hayami had been surfing the forums when she saw one forum with Black Cat's reply. Curious about what her partner had posted, she clicked on the forum, and saw a few pics loading. Impatiently, she scrolled down, trying to find Black Cat's message. But then the pics finished loading, so Hayami was suddenly facing a drawing of herself and Black Cat kissing, with hearts annotated around.

"The HELL?" the girl burst out, scooting her chair away from the screen, face as red as a tomato. Hands trembling slightly, she reached for the mouse and scrolled down, eyes sweeping past more pics of Ladybug and Black Cat in romantic situations. Her cheeks felt like they were burning as she caught glimpses of her drawn self with her crush hugging, kissing, crash-landing on each other...

 _How shameless!_ Hayami screamed into her mind. _What is wrong with people? Why am I kissing him? It's not like I want to kiss him… or do I?_ She had finally scrolled past the drawings, and came across Black Cat's oh-so-helpful, meaningful message "...".

 **ladybugxblackcat-otp** : i see you've taken my drawing prompts, bean pole.

 **artsy-bean-pole** : Wait, I know you?

 **ladybugxblackcat-otp** : i follow u on pixiv? have been following you for three months?

 **artsy-bean-pole** : Oh, ok.

 **ladybug_waifu** : WHAT IS THIS

 **ladybug_waifu** : LADYBUG IS MY WAIFU NOT BLACK CATS

 **mangafan** : chill ladybug is NOT your waifu. also somebody hasn't given me lines for a few paragraphs. thanks a lot, author

 **artsy-bean-pole** : ?

 **Ladybug** : I am not anyone's.

 **artsy-bean-pole** : omg two superheroes visiting my thread in the same day

 **ladybug_waifu** : MY IDOL! MYGODDESS! MY TSUNDERE! AHAHAHHAHAHAHAH

 **Black Cat:** Watch your pronouns.

 **mangafan** : ooh jealous bf

 **ladybugxblackcat-otp** : oooooOOOOHHH

 **ladybug_waifu:** I LOEV YOU LADYBUG! if you reject me there'll be an akuma :(

 **Ladybug:** You can't even spell "love".

 **mangafan** : burnnnn

 **ladybug_waifu:** TYPO! And now I'm sad :((((((

 **ladybug_waifu:** please love me, i have always been ur biggest fan, im always there, i love u

 **Ladybug:**...By chance, are you that bald person who screams everytime I make an appearance?

 **ladybug_waifu:** it's a scream of love, a declaration of my loyalty to you

 **Ladybug:** I take that as a yes.

 **artsy-bean-pole:** …

 **ladybugxblackcat-otp** : has anyone been wondering y the black cat fangirls haven't attacked this thread

 **ladybugxblackcat-otp:** bcz their celebrity crush replied here

 **mangafan:** fangirls attacking in three…

 **mangafan:** two…

 **BlackCatIsHusband:** ahhhhhHHHhahahjdzj BLACK CAT! MARRY ME!

 **cat-lover** : He's my husband BIATCH *tosses hair*

 **fangirl** : No hes MINE! :((((( He loves me!

 **mangafan:** they sound like they're twelve

 **hatsune-miku-queen** : That's because they ARE twelve

 **artsy-bean-pole** : ladybugxblackcat_otp, you jinxed it

 **cat-lover** : He kissed me! I can prove it! :((

 **Black Cat:** No you can't, because that never happened

Lots of Black Cat fangirls and began to spam the thread with their confessions and their arguments with each other.

 **artsy-bean-pole** : I thought this was a thread for art appreciation, not claiming somebody as your husband

 **Black Cat** : Sorry for dragging you into this. Maybe I should leave.

 **Black Cat:** Your art is phenomenal, don't let anyone discourage you.

 **artsy-bean-pole** : Thanks a lot.

 **ladybug_waifu:** He just doesn't want an akuma, unlike somebody who keeps ignoring me…

 **Ladybug:** If he's leaving, then I'm leaving too

 **ladybug_waifu:** who, me? Im flattered

 **artsy-bean-pole** : No, she means Black Cat

Hayami wanted to say something nice to " **artsy-bean-pole** ", but saying things like "great drawing" would cause people to think that she liked being drawn in compromising positions with her partner (whom she shared a strictly platonic relationship with). After thinking for five seconds, the spam from the fangirls became too much and a spark of fire ignited inside Hayami. Her fingers tapped on the keyboard, making louder noises than usual.

 **Ladybug:** To artsy-bean-pole, I admire your art style. Also, to other people out there, Black Cat and I are not items you can claim. We are people, we have our thoughts, we have our feelings.

 **Black Cat:** Couldn't have said it better myself.

 **ladybugxblackcat-otp** : won't stop me from shipping them tho

Chiba gave a sigh, and then he clicked away from the thread. Returning to his PM chat with Ladybug, he realized his partner had updated her profile picture. Instead of being blank, it now had a picture of the Ladybug Nesoberi plushie, which he recognized as the promotional picture the Ladyblog had posted during the summer holidays.

So Chiba also changed his profile picture to a picture of the plushie of his alter-ego. When he returned to the chat, he saw that his plushie was slightly turned to the right, while the Ladybug plushie to the left. If somebody put the two pictures side by side, the plushies would look like they were facing each other.

 _Such a coincidence,_ Chiba thought. Knowing their crazy fans out there, someone would had done it within the day.

A text from Ladybug came: _**You changed your profile picture too.**_

 **Well now, they match.**

A blush rose on Hayami's cheeks. That almost seemed like he was _flirting_ with her, like he purposely made their pictures match.

 **Since we're a superhero duo, our pictures should match**

Oh, of _course._ Hayami, being the lovesick fangirl she was, took his message wrongly. She cursed herself for overthinking things.

 _ **Okay**_

Chiba took out his homework. He had already spent half an hour on the internet already, so he had to do something productive.

But, the problem was, he was kind of scared to tell Ladybug he would be going offline. After all, it somehow seemed weird to him, maybe a bit too personal, and just… awkward.

So, in the end, he didn't say anything, allowing his screen to be turned on as he wrote his essay.

Meanwhile, Hayami seeing that Black Cat hadn't replied for some time, wondered if she should send him a text. But, she thought, then she would be rather nosy and poking into his business. Since she had a pretty big crush on him (Hayami had given up on hiding it from herself), of course she wanted to spend more time with him. But, he had work to do, just like her, so she shouldn't bother him.

So, in the end, she didn't say anything. Like her partner, Hayami did her Social Studies homework silently.

And also like him, she kept her screen turned on, wondering if a text from him would pop up.

* * *

Apparently, as Chiba learned the day after, Sugaya had to deal with the fangirls fighting for Black Cat after the two superheroes left the thread.

"They were so annoying," Sugaya grouched. "They all wanted me to draw themselves with Black Cat. Pssh, as if I would take those requests."

Okajima, who had heard the last sentence Sugaya said, walked over and gave him a wide, overly-sweet smile (which creeped Sugaya out). Batting his eyelashes as quick as a hummingbird's feathers, Okajima said, "Draw me with Ladybug, will you?"

Sugaya gave the boy a deadpan stare. "No." he replied. "By the way, who calls themselves 'ladybug_waifu'?"

A few paces away, Hayami had been talking with Nakamura, but after hearing what Sugaya said, she began to listen to the boys' conversation.

Okajima turned bright red. "H-how did you know?" he stammered.

Sugaya gave him a smirk. "Think twice before answering Ladybug's question online."

 _So it_ is _Okajima,_ Hayami thought, feeling disturbed by her classmate.

Okajima opened his mouth and shut it. A few seconds later, he asked loudly, "Wait Sugaya, you're 'artsy-bean-pole'?"

Nakamura looked briefly at Sugaya, before returning to her conversation. Hayami thought she saw something weird in Nakamura's blue eyes, but that disappeared in a flash.

"Yeah?" Sugaya replied in a confused tone. "I thought I told you and Chiba?"

"He's too busy noticing what you draw," Chiba muttered. It was true, Okajima only cared about the chest sizes of the girls Sugaya drew.

"Well," Okajima crossed his arms. "Draw Ladybug for me please?" he requested hopefully.

Sugaya took out his pencil and began to sketch, making a few quick strokes on paper. "I don't take requests every time. I draw when I feel like it."

"But that person on the Ladyblog said you took drawing prompts from them, if my memory serves me correctly?"

"Drawing prompts are different from requests."

The bell rang, signalling the beginning of homeroom. The students scattered across the room looked up, and started to prepare themselves for another long day of school.

"I should take my leave." Nakamura said, waving cheerily at Hayami. "See you later!"

"Mm."

But as Nakamura strode to the classroom door, she turned her head slightly back, just to catch a small glimpse of a certain boy, before walking out.

* * *

 ** **A/N: I ship the artist boy with the blonde, blue-eyed girl. This applies to both Assassination Classroom and Miraculous Ladybug.****

 **Also, the usernames Chiba mentioned are all names of the accounts of some 3-E students. Anyone want to guess?**

 **To the people who had followed this story, thanks! Also, please read and review!**


	6. A Literal Cat

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. This chapter is loosely inspired by** _ **The Cat Goes Meow**_ **? by InuChimera7410, a Miraculous Ladybug fanfiction. The link is** **/s/11656101/1/The-Cat-Goes-Meow**

* * *

Kurahashi was walking down the streets on one fine Sunday morning. Humming a cheerful tone, the energetic girl skipped across the pavement, holding a book about animals she had borrowed from the library. One the way back to her home, she suddenly heard a distressed meow, and cold, taunting laughter. A bit anxious, Kurahashi ran to where to where their voices were, and her eyes widened.

There were a few younger boys kicking a small, scrawny kitten. The kitten whimpered softly, and when one of the boys came close enough, it scratched the boy's leg.

"Ouch!" he yelped, looking at the red lines on his leg, but then Kurahashi stepped forward, an unusually furious look in her peridot eyes.

"Stop kicking that poor kitten!" she yelled at the boys. "It did nothing wrong! Please show some care for animals!"

As the teenage girl scolded the boys, Kochou frowned in his lair. "Is that anger and misery I sense? And what noble intentions too! She certainly deserves a chance to protect the innocent animals."

He caught a white butterfly in his hands and infused it with energy, so it turned black. Kochou let the akuma flutter out of the window, commanding, "Fly away, my butterfly, and akumatize her!"

Meanwhile, Kurahashi was thinking about the cruelty animals had faced because of mistreat from humans, and that made her furious and upset. She was so absorbed in her own thoughts, she didn't notice a certain purple butterfly flying towards her until the last second.

Kurahashi gulped when she caught sight of the akuma. If there was one bug she hated, it was the akuma, sent by Kochou to take advantage of people. Letting out a small squeal, the girl backed away, trying to use her book to swat the akuma away.

Which was, in fact, a bad decision.

The akuma came in contact with the book and instantly, the book became black and purple. A purple mask appeared over Kurahashi's face. A deep, unfamiliar male voice began to speak.

"Kemono, I am Kochou. I can give you the power to take revenge on those who had hurt your precious animal friends. They can get what they deserve. All you have to do is to bring me the Ladybug and Black Cat miraculouses. Fair deal, or no?"

Kurahashi knew deep, deep inside, she should refuse, but the offer was too tempting. In the end, her love for animals won.

Gritting her teeth, she muttered, "Deal."

* * *

"Oniisan? Oniisan!"

Chiba pulled his headphones down and looked down at his sister. "Hmm?"

His nine-year-old sister Fumiko peered up at him, trying to see the eyes her brother hid behind his bangs. Chiba automatically shifted away, conscious of that.

Fumiko pointed at the headphones. "What were you listening to?"

"Umm…" Chiba wasn't sure if his sister would appreciate punk music, as his eldest sister disapproved of it. Not to mention, it didn't seem like Fumiko's style. The girl was a very determined and focused person, and was never afraid to voice out her opinions. Which was unlike an "emo" (as Plagg had said) like Chiba.

A sigh came from the other end of the room, where a tall, black-haired girl stood, arms crossed. "Fumiko, don't get into that trash."

"Watch what you're calling trash," Chiba shot back quickly at his older sister, Shiho. Shiho was sixteen, loved classical music, and was learning the cello, a stark contrast to Chiba's music taste.

Shiho sighed. "At least you don't blast it at full volume in your room, Ryuu." The girl sat on the sofa and idly flipped through a magazine.

"Ooh, those clothes are cute!" Fumiko gasped, and joined her sister in reading the magazine. Chiba turned away to the window, unable to relate to their "girl stuff". Just as he was about to put on his headphones, he caught sight of something outside on the streets.

He leaned closer to the window until his nose was touching it. A frown appeared on Chiba's face.

There was no mistake. Initially, Chiba might have thought that the girl was one of those weird cosplayers or something, but once he saw her use her powers, she definitely had to be an akuma.

He sped into his room, changed his clothes and then dashed back out. He yanked his beanie on his head and kicked off his slippers.

"Going out?" Shiho called to her brother.

"Mmm." Chiba put on his shoes.

"Take care!" Fumiko waved her hand. Chiba stepped out of the door and ran downstairs.

 _An akuma! I saw her!_ Chiba panted as he reached the streets. He glanced frantically to the left and to the right, but nothing. He sighed and was about to contact Ladybug, but that was when he saw a furry tail disappearing behind a street corner.

Plagg peeked out of Chiba's pocket and sniffed the air. "No Camembert," he muttered disappointedly.

"And _that's_ the only thing you care about?" Chiba hissed. Taking cautious steps, he ran to where he saw the furry tail. Unfortunately, he was momentarily distracted by a big cockroach scuttling by his feet.

Chiba shuddered, and the cockroach darted between his legs and ran away. Trying to ignore the chills on his spine, the boy continued to chase the furry tail, which was waving at him almost mockingly.

Chiba was scared that if he transformed, people would see him and the akuma would know about his whereabouts. So he stayed in his civilian form.

Finally, finally, Chiba caught sight of the akuma. She had short, curvy orange hair and wore a fluffy white dress. However, what made her stood out the most were he cat ears on her head, and the cat tail protruding behind her. She held up a purplish book and zapped a finger at a boy. The boy let out a small scream and in a bright flash, he changed into a tortoise.

"Well, enjoy your new, slow form!" the girl said cheerfully, but her eyes were dark and had a twisted look in them. Chiba immediately recognized her voice.

His assumptions were correct. His classmate Kurahashi Hinano had been akumatized, and her akumatized form could change people into animals. That cockroach from earlier was probably her doing. And also the human-turned-sparrow he saw from his home.

 _Good, I've located her._ Chiba thought as he hid behind a tree (which was conveniently beside him). "Plagg, claws out!"

The cat themed superhero leapt on the rooftops and zoomed to where the akuma was. He wondered if Ladybug knew about the akuma. She probably didn't, as the akuma hadn't appeared for long, and this one didn't make a big scene.

"Oh, the cat has come out to play," a sugary sweet voice said behind Black Cat. He turned around, and saw the akuma standing on the rooftop.

"Wow, you have cat ears too!" the akuma exclaimed in a false excited tone. Her green eyes glittered, and she continued to say, "I haven't introduced myself. My name is Kemono, and I will bring justice to all animals!"

Black Cat didn't want to waste time and words talking with Kemono, so he leapt forward to engage in combat with the akuma. Kemono smiled and hid her book in a hidden pocket on her dress.

The superhero used his baton to swipe at the akuma, who dodged. The girl panted, and a purple mask appeared on her face.

"Get his ring!" Kochou urged the akuma. Immediately, Kemono changed from a defensive pose to an attacking pose. Her hands were in mittens in shape of paws, and she threw punches at Black Cat, who blocked them with his silver baton.

"Is this a _cat fight_?" Black Cat said out loud, and quickly shut his mouth. Trust Plagg (whom Chiba was sure was the origin of his terrible puns and sarcasm) to come up with that. The moment he let his guard down, Kemono kicked him between his legs.

"Ouch!" Black Cat groaned and retreated, biting his lower lip in pain. Before he could attack, Kemono quickly took her book out and pointed a finger at Black Cat. The pages of the book flipped until the open page had a picture of a certain animal.

"Perfect," Kemono declared, and light burst out from her finger. Black Cat tried to duck by leaping off the roof, but unfortunately, the light ray hit him, knocking him straight towards the streets.

The boy felt his entire body go hot and molding itself into something else. However, he didn't scream, and landed on the cold, hard floor with a thump. He looked up, his head feeling fuzzy. Then, the cling of metal hitting a surface caught his attention, and he saw a glowing something roll pass him.

 _The ring!_ He thought in alarm. _That means I'm detransformed!_ He tried to yell out his kwami's name, but it came out as a meow. He looked down at his hands, which became furry, black paws.

The realization dawned on Chiba. He had been turned into a cat. His miraculous was currently rolling away, his kwami nowhere to be seen, and _he was a cat._

He leapt towards his ring, but he missed it by millimeters and instead sent it moving somewhere else. On closer inspection, he saw that his kwami was still in his ring, so technically, he wasn't detransformed.

However, technically, he wasn't either Black Cat or Chiba. He was a cat. A literal black cat.

Kemono did a backflip and landed on the street, searching for Black Cat. Unfortunately for her, the cat had already ran away, in hot pursuit of his ring which seemed it would never stop rolling away.

"No matter, he'll show up sooner or later." Kemono smiled innocently. "Now to get revenge on more people!"

Being in cat form was very awkward for Chiba.

First, he suddenly became very short.

Then, he had to walk on four legs, which was kind of embarrassing.

Not to mention he wasn't wearing anything, which made him want to cringe, roll into a ball, and die.

With no kwami to help him (Chiba had to admit, Plagg was useful sometimes), a lost miraculous, and no Ladybug, things seemed pretty terrible for him. Also, did he mention his akumatized classmate hunting for him? What a day.

Chiba slunk in the shadows, sharp eyes darting around for the ring. A flash of neon green caught his eye, and without thinking, he dashed towards it on the other side of the street. He knew that the ring in its transformed state had a green paw print on it.

He was so caught up and stressed over his current state, he didn't realized a truck was coming towards him.

As he heard the screeching of tires, Chiba tried to run, but was unfortunately hit.

In an instant, the cat was flung away and crash-landed on the ground. Chiba yowled as he felt pain jolt through his cat body, one of his legs throbbing. He tried to stand up, but he collapsed in pain. It felt like it was ripping his leg apart. Chiba could barely think, the unfamiliar sensations overwhelming him.

The truck had fully stopped, and the owner opened the door and got down in a hurry. Fear was evident in his face. Chiba's agonized green eyes trained on him, wanting the driver to help him, but instead, he was focusing on talking to someone behind the cat.

"I'm deeply sorry, miss. Is that your cat?"

"No, but I'll take care of him from now on. Drive carefully," a stern, familiar voice commanded, and Chiba's ears shot up. Twisting his head, he saw a teenage girl with peach hair and sharp green eyes, and Chiba felt his heart pound. In his pain, he never noticed that a certain female classmate of his coming to his rescue.

 _Hayami...san?_

* * *

Two grocery bags strung on her arms, Hayami walked from the supermarket to her home. The girl had noticed that a lot of her pocket money was used on buying cookies for Tikki, so she decided to bake some cookies to save money. Being the good girl she was, she also wanted to cook dinner for her mother that night.

The crisp autumn wind blew through her hair. Hayami was thankful she had decided to wear long pants outside, or else her legs would be cold.

Hayami reached a traffic light, so she stopped and waited for it to turn green. A blur of black suddenly sped across the road, crossing the path of an incoming truck. Mouth open, she knew the thing (was it a cat?) couldn't avoid the impact.

The girl dropped her bags with a clatter and rushed to the cat's aid. It was sprawled on the ground, a bit of blood next to its leg. Hayami could see the cat was breathing, and was glad it was alive.

If there was one thing Hayami loved, it was cats (including Black Cat but that was another matter).

And so if there was one thing Hayami despised, it was cats being hurt.

After quickly talking with the truck driver, Hayami decided to take the cat to the vet. There was no collar on his neck, so she assumed he was a stray (yes, she knew the cat was a he). The cat kept trying to walk, but after limping around for a few seconds, he fell down again.

 _Crap! The ring!_ Chiba thought as he tried and tried again with no results. He had lost sight of it. He had to go. He had to search for it, because if Kochou or the akuma found it, he would lose his power, and Ladybug had to fight on her own. He couldn't let her down.

He unintentionally let out a meow (which sounded rather pitiful) and Hayami knelt down beside him.

"Geez, you shouldn't move around too much," she said with a smile, and Chiba felt his heart melt slightly. Hayami was usually so cool and dare he say, hid her emotions, but opened up to a cat.

"I'm a friend, okay?" she continued to say. "I'll help you, kitty. Come here."

Chiba knew there was something different in her tone. It was the kind of cutesy voice one might use when they see something adorable, not Hayami's usual serious voice. Seeing that side of his classmate was endearing. If he was in human form, Chiba knew he would have blushed.

Chiba realized he was rather useless, being in cat form and hurt, so he relented and let Hayami pick him up. Hayami was careful not to disturb his injured leg, and as she searched for the directions to the vet, she talked absentmindedly to the cat.

"You're a cute kitty, aren't you?" she muttered, stroking his head. Chiba stiffened, unused to the touch. Sure, Ladybug petted his head sometimes (to his mild confusion), but this was _Hayami._ Chiba wasn't sure if he had ever heard her describe something as "cute". But he was rather comfortable, snuggled up in her arms. With his enhanced sense of smell, Chiba thought Hayami smelled rather nicely, although he couldn't describe the smell. The cat let out a contented meow.

 _This stray cat is rather docile,_ Hayami thought, the corners of her lips turning up in a smile. _Maybe he used to be domesticated… and then abandoned._ It felt like a bucket of cold water dumped over her heart as Hayami wondered if the cat was abandoned. She knew cases like that happened often, when the owners got tired of looking after their pets.

Chiba was enjoying being petted by Hayami when his original mission came back to him in a flash. He wasn't supposed to frolic. His miraculous was gone! How could he be so distracted?

 _Well, because you like her-_ Chiba immediately cut off his thoughts. He began to wriggle, which caught Hayami's attention.

"Hmm? What do you want, kitty?" Hayami peered down at him curiously.

Now, Chiba had two options.

One: to escape from Hayami and hunt for the miraculous by himself, and wait for Ladybug.

Two: hope that Hayami could recognize him as Black Cat and seek for her help.

The first choice didn't seem very possible, and Hayami was a trustworthy person, so Chiba went for the second option.

He looked straight into the girl's eyes, wishing with all his might that she could know who he really was. Hayami was slightly taken aback at those bright, green eyes which vaguely reminded her of something- someone.

"Hmm, you actually kind of look like Black Cat. You know, the superhero," Hayami thought out loud as she stroked the cat's fur. He let out a somewhat strangled purr. _Gosh, why do I like this so much?_ Hayami scratched under his chin and he meowed happily.

"I mean, your fur is the same colour as his hair…"

 _And?_ Chiba thought hopefully, sending Hayami an expectant look. Hayami smiled back at him peacefully, her soft expression a stark contrast from her usual one. _She's kinda cute. I didn't know she likes cats. Wait, focus on the mission!_

"Your eyes are the same colour as his too…" Hayami paused and stared at the cat in her arms. He looked up innocently at her and purred.

A mental picture of Black Cat purring entered Hayami's mind. Shoving that embarrassing thought away, she compared her cat partner to the animal, studying the animal.

She leaned down until her lips were close to the cat's ears. "Are you Black Cat?" she whispered.

 _Yes!_ Chiba nodded his cat head, delighted that she got it.

However, Hayami had a different reaction. She stared blankly at the cat- which was in fact her partner, her best friend and crush all rolled into one. Basically Hayami's favourite things had all collided to make one huge, mega cutie.

There was an akuma who turned him into a cat. And she didn't know about said akuma.

Now she thought about it, he didn't have his miraculous either!

Great, now Hayami felt terrible for deserting Black Cat. At least she could help him in civilian form while she found a way to escape and transform and defeat the akuma.

She quickly walked away until she came to a quiet, hidden spot while keeping her eyes open for any strange happenings (which might indicate an akuma nearby). She sat down, back pressed against the wall and gently lowered the cat, who had been obediently sitting in her arms for the past few minutes.

"Do you want me to help you find your ring?" she muttered lowly. Chiba nodded.

"Or, I dunno, contact Ladybug somehow?" Hayami asked, remembering that normal civilians didn't know Ladybug and Black Cat had a way to text each other.

 _I have to tell Ladybug first,_ Chiba decided. _I'll tell her about my cat state and about the akuma._ He nodded again and poked his head in Hayami's bag, attempting to use his sense of smell to locate her phone. Chiba didn't want to be rude, but time was the essence. He had a job to do.

"Ah!" Hayami quickly snatched her bag, remembering her kwami was in it. "You want my phone, right? I'll get it." Hayami quickly unlocked her phone and logged out of her Ladyblog account. She pressed the home screen button and slid the phone in front of the cat. _That was a close call,_ Hayami sighed. She let out a quiet chuckle as she watched the cat struggle to press buttons with his paws.

 _Not… fun…_ Chiba let out a frustrated meow as his too-big and furry paws made him unable to type easily. After what felt like years and help from auto-correct, he finally managed to type his username.

And that was just the username.

He gave the phone a death glare, before resuming slamming his paws on the screen. If he wasn't so anxious and pressured, he might have found his predicament hilarious.

On the side, Hayami was watching the cat with a grin on her face. As the case that usually happened with every cat, Hayami wanted to cuddle and squish her cheeks against the fluffy kitty. And his actions were strangely adorable, although the girl knew she shouldn't mention that when the superhero-turned-cat was trying so hard.

After a long and difficult struggle, Chiba managed to log in successfully. He hoped his bad luck for the day had been used up, because he really needed some of Ladybug's signature luck. He wondered if she spent all her days walking on the streets finding money, getting all multiple choice questions correct when she answered them at random, and everything went in her way. Because of his bad luck, the opposite seemed to happen to him.

Because he was a human trapped inside the body of a cat, Chiba used his superb intelligence to select a few choice words to send to Ladybug. He looked up and saw that Hayami had stopped looking at him. _Good. She isn't supposed to know about the texting._

Chiba began to type, and for the first time in his life, he appreciated autocorrect. He struggled to convey his words quickly and efficiently, and hoped Ladybug (wherever she was) would understand.

It was terribly funny how he had to depend on others so much once he became a cat. Chiba liked to take care of things himself instead of shoving the burden on someone else. His green, cat eyes were gazing intently at the screen as he sent a message, followed by another. His tail flicked left and right.

 **Help. I am cat**

 **Akuma town center**

 **Lost ring**

 **Sbd helping me**

He decided it was enough. Boy, Chiba felt so embarrassed by typing such cringe-worthy and crappy sentences. Now he had to search for his miraculous.

And his leg was still hurting. It would probably still be hurt if he transformed. He wasn't even sure if Ladybug's Miraculous Ladybug could heal it.

He dragged his injured limb as he walked, and winced at the pain. He used his nose to bop Hayami's leg, and that caught her attention. She cooed softly and petted his head.

Chiba could never understand why people liked to pet his head. First it was Ladybug, then his classmate. To be fair, his sisters or his mom had never petted his head, and Ladybug was the first. He knew he was in cat form, and cats were cute (he wasn't trying to brag that he was cute), but still he felt slightly weird and happy, which was not like when Ladybug petted his head. When she did so, he would always be a bit amused but confused. When Hayami petted his head, he felt really happy, a pleasant feeling settling in his heart.

"Sorry, couldn't resist." Hayami said as she pulled her hand away. "So, are we finding the ring now?"

Chiba nodded, let Hayami pick him up, and they went to the place where Chiba had last seen the ring (also known as the site of the truck crash).

Hayami had told the cat that she would tell him if Ladybug replied, but of course she couldn't tell him Ladybug couldn't reply because _she_ was Ladybug and was busy taking care of the cat. So, guiltily, Hayami had to pretend that Ladybug hadn't received the messages yet so she would have an excuse.

Because an akuma was on loose, Hayami hid the cat partially in one of her bags (Tikki was in the other) as to conceal him. Hayami didn't know who had been akumatized or their powers, so she walked in constant anxiety. However, she couldn't look too suspicious, so she just did her best to observe without looking like it.

Chiba was a bit, and mind you, just a bit disappointed that Hayami wouldn't be carrying him. He knew it was for his, and for her safety, but a teeny part of his heart sank when she placed him in her bag.

He knew he sounded creepy.

Scratch that, he _was_ kind of creepy.

Hayami ran through the streets and after rounding a corner, she saw a black something kicked to the side. Her heart lifted. _The ring!_

Hayami wasn't sure if the public had a clear idea of how Black Cat's ring looked like, as nobody had ever asked to look at it. But as Ladybug, she could recognize his ring in its transformed state (she assumed it looked different when his kwami wasn't in it). But to hell with that! If Kochou got his hands on the ring, chaos would ensure.

The girl dashed to the ring, but before she could pick it up, a bird swooped down, caught the ring and flew away.

 _Wha-?_ Hayami stared at the bird for a second, and then broke into a run, chasing after the bird. _Could it be the akuma's minions?_

Chiba had been spying from his spot in the bag. When Hayami surged forward suddenly, his body slammed on the side of the bag, a searing pain shot through his leg. Previously, it had just been throbbing, but once it made contact in something, the pain came alive again, like a raging fire.

Hayami kept her eye on the bird as she ran and ran. However, she did try to notice her surroundings, so she would have a less chance of being hit by a truck like the cat did.

The bag swung back and forth unsteadily as Hayami's footsteps pounded on the ground. Chiba was beginning to get seasick and lost track of the bird and his ring. He ducked his head inside the bag and closed his eyes, hoping that would stop the motion sickness.

Hayami watched as the bird flew on a tree and stopped there. The girl stopped running and approached the tree cautiously, only to realize it was in someone's backyard.

She knew she couldn't barge into someone's home and climb up their tree, which meant she had to see if someone was home. And ask for their permission.

Chiba meowed and gestured at the hanging nameplate. Hayami turned and to her dread, she recognized the surname. It said "Okajima".

 _Oh._

Hayami didn't know whether there were more than one family that had the surname "Okajima" in the town, but she had to mentally prepare herself in case it was really the perverted Okajima she knew.

A rustle from the trees reminded her that she had to act quickly in case the bird flew away again. Hayami breathed in and out, and sent the door a steely look.

 _You got this. Do it for Black Cat._ Hayami told herself that, and rang the doorbell. She cringed inwardly when she heard it ring, announcing her presence.

Footsteps sounded from the other side, and the door was opened by a bald man that was _not_ Okajima.

Before Hayami could breathe in relief, an annoying, familiar voice sounded inside the house, "Hey Dad, is Mom back?"

 _Dammit, Okajima._

"No," Okajima's dad replied, looking at Hayami with a somewhat perplexed expression on his face. "Umm…"

Hayami wanted to speak, to explain why she was there, but Okajima beat her to it as he ran to the door. Hayami could feel dread washing over her body, and she dearly wanted to run away, but she had to get the ring.

"Hayami-san? What are you doing here?"

"Taiga, you know her?"

"Yeah, she's my classmate… what _are_ you doing here?"

"I apologize for intruding your household. A bird has one of my possessions and it's stuck on the tree in your background. I want to ask your permission to retrieve it."

Father and son stared at her. Hayami was vaguely aware that they were both bald, which meant Okajima inherited that certain trait from his father.

"Wow, you're using formal language," Okajima muttered. His dad blinked, and came back to life.

"Oh! Sure. Do you want me to do it for you?"

"No, I can do it myself."

Hayami walked purposely to the tree and set her bags down. Tikki quickly flew from her hiding place and hid in Hayami's hair. The Okajimas were watching her, interested in how this would turn out.

Hayami had climbed trees when she was little. She studied the tree and determined that it wouldn't be a hard tree to climb. The cat, with his unblinking green eyes, observed her movements.

Hayami began to climb, and when she reached the top, she stretched out a hand for the ring. Apparently, the bird had grown attached to the ring, and wasn't willing to give it up without a fight. Hayami tried to swipe the bird away, but it clucked and pecked her hand.

Under the tree, Okajima was watching Hayami, a dazed expression on his face. An unusual fire of protectiveness raged in Chiba when he saw Okajima's face, which could only mean one, impure thing.

 _STOP LOOKING,_ he tried to send a mental message to Okajima. It didn't work.

 _YOU PERVERT,_ he tried again.

 _DON'T YOU DARE THINK ABOUT HAYAMI-SAN LIKE THAT!_ Angry and protective,Chiba managed to turn his body so his eyes were now fixated on Okajima. He did his best to send him his signature death glare, hoping it would still work in cat form.

Okajima was imagining a happy fantasy when he felt someone's eyes on him. He looked around, attempting to rid of the chills he felt, and eventually found a pair of cat eyes glaring at him. They were bright and green, and was watching him silently without moving.

Okajima found that quite creepy.

 _So Hayami has a cat? A cat that likes glaring at me? A cat guardian?_ Okajima glared back at the cat, but to his humiliation, after a few seconds, he lost a staring match with a mere cat.

A human losing to a cat.

 _Ha ha ha,_ Chiba gloated, unsure why he felt so triumphant. His cat form gave a smirk (or as close a cat to get to a smirk), and his fur raised. His tail stood up as Chiba felt himself unconsciously shift to a fighting stance. His pupils constricted and he uttered a low growl.

 _Whoops. Aggressive cat._ Learning his lesson, Okajima shivered and stopped looking at Hayami.

Meanwhile, on the tree, Hayami was unaware of the silent fight between Chiba and Okajima, She tried to shoo the bird away, but it was annoyingly stubborn. A bit of blood seeped out from where the bird had pecked her, and it looked like the bird was about to attack again. Luckily for Hayami, Tikki had been watching the whole thing. She waited for the right moment, pounced, and got the ring.

"Thanks," Hayami mouthed to her kwami and pocketed the ring. She slid down the tree as if she was liquid, said goodbye to the Okajimas, and went away. Okajima was still feeling spooked and aggravated by the "cat guardian" Hayami had with her.

Hayami noticed that the cat was behaving aggressively. She scratched under his chin, which immediately relaxed him. "Hmm, so you don't like the Okajimas much?" she murmured, and passed him his ring. Chiba meowed in appreciation (he had no idea how to express his gratitude).

"Ladybug hasn't replied," Hayami told the cat, feeling more and more guilt with every passing second. A flash of bright light caught their attention, and seemingly out of nowhere, a person appeared, who fell to the ground, confused.

Alarms blared in both Chiba and Hayami's brain. _Akuma alert! Akuma alert!_ Hayami spun around hurriedly, but she could see nothing special.

That was when Chiba knew he recognized the boy. It was the same one he had seen Kemono turn into a tortoise.

Which meant…

His body grew hot, and the alarms in his brain sounded louder. In panic, Chiba leapt out from the bag, landing awkwardly on his bad leg. His miraculous rolled out again, but as Hayami turned to see the commotion, light blinded her eyes. She shielded her eyes automatically.

 _Ouch…_ Chiba opened his eyes and saw his usual bangs covering his vision. He looked at himself and immediately flung himself over a street corner, breathing heavily. He was truly detransformed, and his leg was still injured. But he couldn't risk Hayami knowing who he was. He turned around and snatched his miraculous, and in a flash, Plagg was released.

After the light, Hayami slowly put down her hand, but a sharp command of "Don't look!" made her stop.

It was Black Cat.

It was his voice.

He was back to human, and neither of them knew why.

That day was a strange day for them both.

Obediently, Hayami put her hand over her eyes, and she heard some hushed whispering and shuffling. After a while, she heard, "You can open your eyes now."

Hayami did, and saw the cat themed superhero in all his glory, _right in front of her_. The duo stared at each other, blushes rising on their cheeks.

"Uh…" Hayami didn't know what to say.

"Thanks for- _look out_!" Black Cat cried as a punch was thrown at Hayami. He spun his baton and blocked the punch. He winced when his weight was placed on his bad leg.

"Oh look, a friend of Black Cat. You must be removed," a horribly familiar voice said, as a figure descended. Hayami felt her blood turn to ice. _Kurahashi!_ The akuma raised her hand and-

"Hold on!" Black Cat yelled, and before Hayami could think, he put an arm around her waist and using his baton, he propelled them up on the rooftops. Then, he scooped her up princess-style and ran, darting behind objects while keeping an eye out for the akuma.

Hayami noticed that he was limping, and felt sorry that he had to take care of her while he was hurt. She hid her face behind her bag in shame, embarrassment, while being flattered at the same time.

 _So this is happening… again…_ Black Cat remembered last time at the Pool Incident, he had to save the same girl using the same method (carrying). His heart fluttered when he thought of the girl in his arms. He turned to Hayami and gave her a comforting smile (which melted the girl's cold, stone heart).

After running for a while, Black Cat put Hayami down gently, and told her to hide herself.

"Stay safe yourself," Hayami reminded him.

"I will, and thanks for your help." Still limping, he leapt up and vanished from her vision. Hayami's heart ached when she was once again reminded that he was hurt. Once he disappeared, Tikki popped up and said, "Ready when you are!"

"Alright! Tikki, spots on!"

* * *

The akuma wasn't a particularly difficult one, but Black Cat's leg made the situation worse. Ladybug found out that Kemono could only turn a certain number of people into animals, and once that limit was used up and she continued to use her powers, the people-turned-animals could turn back to humans.

That explained the Black-Cat-Is-A-Cat situation.

Black Cat told Ladybug everything, from his transformation to a cat, his injured leg, to how a kind girl had helped him. Ladybug felt extra bad that she had kind of abandoned her partner, so she put in more effort to cover for Black Cat and fight the akuma.

"Time to devilize!" Ladybug cleansed the akuma and used Miraculous Ladybug, returning the animals to their human forms. Unfortunately for Black Cat, her powers had not completely healed his leg.

"Is your leg okay?" Ladybug asked her partner.

Black Cat sighed. "I think it's healed halfway."

Ladybug crossed her arms. "Hmm, that's going to cause trouble for your civilian self."

"I know." Black Cat huffed and blew his bangs away from his eyes (sometimes they liked to poke him in the eye). "Well, I have to see someone. Bye."

"Okay," Ladybug said, and her eyes widened at the sudden realization that he was going to check on her civilian self. If she hurried, she could make it (with his hurt leg and all that), but poor Kurahashi was sitting there, looking very confused and hurt.

Ladybug decided Black Cat could wait.

She walked over Kurahashi, her friend, and put a hand on her shoulder. The girl was close to tears because she had been akumatized, but Ladybug gave her an encouraging smile and said, "Don't worry. It's all over now."

"I-I'm very sorry!" Kurahashi bowed towards Ladybug.

"It's okay!" Ladybug said, showing her softer, more caring side. "Everyone has their bad days. Tomorrow will be a new one."

Kurahashi finally smiled, the tears dissipating. "Thank you, Ladybug."

Ladybug was rather proud that she had opened up to let down her professional side a little. She waved and swung herself away, and Kurahashi waved back.

Anxiously, Black Cat searched for Hayami, wanting to repay her kindness. She couldn't have possibly been hurt, because Miraculous Ladybug would repair everything.

A beep sounded from his ring, and Black Cat hopped on his good leg, continuing to look for Hayami.

Meanwhile, Ladybug leapt behind a lamppost and detransformed. She picked up the bags she had left and saw Black Cat hopping around. She approached him nervously.

"...Hey…"

He turned around, cat ears twitching ("Awww," Hayami thought) and his eyes lit up. "Hi."

Silence.

"Thanks for helping me back then."

"No problem. Thanks for saving me too."

"It was nothing."

The silence intensified and they refused to look at each other in the eye. A light blush grew on Black Cat's cheeks, and his heart began to thump louder than usual.

Another beep from his ring broke the moment. The boy glanced at the ring on his finger and knew he had two minutes left.

"Umm, bye!" the boy said awkwardly, propelled himself away, and detransformed. Plagg zoomed out and grinned lazily when he saw his holder's face. "Someone's in _loooooveeee._ "

Chiba didn't even have the energy to deny that.

* * *

At nighttime, Black Cat slowly climbed on top of a roof. When he had returned home, his family had naturally been worried, but somehow Chiba managed to conceal his hurt leg. In his room, he bandaged it up and spent the rest of the day there, under the pretext of studying (it was a white lie, he actually had to study).

He received a text out of the blue from Ladybug. She apologized for not being at the akuma scene earlier, and that she might have a way to heal his leg. Chiba was intrigued, but she said she was still figuring things out, and would meet him for patrol that night.

Black Cat spun his baton so it allowed him to float briefly (like a helicopter's blades), and landed on the roof next to Ladybug. He waved a hand in greeting.

"So," Ladybug said, business-like. "I asked my kwami, and she said that the Miraculous Ladybug not only repairs things that have been destroyed by the akuma, but can also grant slight luck to those around it. Because you were physically the closest to me when I used my powers, you probably got a ton of that luck."

Black Cat nodded, wishing his own kwami was that informative.

"I was wondering, I can try to use my Lucky Charm power, and after that I can use my Miraculous Ladybug power, and see if I can completely heal your leg." Ladybug continued.

Black Cat thought the idea sounded a bit absurd, but it was worth a try.

Ladybug hissed, "Lucky Charm!", tossed her yoyo, and a red and black crutch fell down. They both looked at it. "Seems useful," Black Cat offered.

Ladybug stood as close to Black Cat as possible, their arms pressing against each other. Ladybug was a bit flustered that she was so close to him, but Black Cat only felt awkward because he generally liked to keep his distance.

"Miraculous Ladybug!" Ladybug whispered as not to wake the whole town up with her yell. Black Cat closed his eyes and felt a breeze blow past him.

"Feel better yet?" Ladybug asked.

Black Cat stretched his leg and put his weight on it. He was pleasantly surprised when he could no longer feel pain. "It's healed. Thanks, Ladybug."

Ladybug gave him a smile, but didn't reply. "Let's continue our patrol."

"Sure." Black Cat said, and the duo bounded and moved casually across the rooftops, as Black Cat retold the day's events to Ladybug. After a while, Ladybug dared to slyly ask, "So what do you think of that girl?"

"Her? She's nice." Black Cat looked ahead, thinking of Hayami and her cute smile and voice. "Yeah… very nice."

"I see," Ladybug said, secret delight blooming in her chest.

But after Ladybug's question, Black Cat began to realize maybe he had a crush on Hayami. After all, it made sense how he liked Hayami petting his head more than Ladybug petting his head.

And so in the night, after Chiba had gone to sleep, Plagg chuckled to himself, green eyes shining in the dark.

 _The good ole classic square's set into motion._

* * *

 **A/N: I had to seriously research about cats being hit by cars/ trucks. And aggressive cat behavior (lol protective Chiba).**

 **Black cats? Being hit by a truck? Yeah, recently got into Kagerou Project. Not to mention Chiba has red eyes ooooh.**

 **Ch 1: Chiba's leg gets crushed in akuma attack**

 **Ch 6: Chiba's leg gets broken by a truck while he was a cat**

 **I like to make them suffer lol and** _ **this is just the beginning**_ **. *evil cackle***

 **AND OH MY GOSH MIRACULOUS LADYBUG SEASON 2 WOWOWOW! LOVE SQUARE AHHHH.**

 **By the way, some of the stuff here are inspired by the *coughcoughSPOILERS* Marichat scene in Episode 3. I won't say much here, because there might be people who don't want spoilers.**

 **To** _ **EJ17,**_ **they're not the main trio. In fact, I don't think they'll appear much until they all land in 3-E, because I don't think Chiba and Hayami were friendly with Nagisa or Karma (Kayano's not in their school) prior 3-E. They might make some cameos though.**

 **Akuma suggestions are open!**

 **I noticed that some more people had followed this. Thanks!**

 **And as always, please read and review! :)**


	7. Stormy Skies

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. Also, you might want to go on Youtube and search for the soundtrack for the famous umbrella scene… hehehe ;)**

* * *

Hushed whispers could be heard as a girl stepped in her class, head lowered.

"Have you heard about her?"

"Yeah, she got akumatized. Can you believe it?"

"Wow, losing control of herself so easily."

Kunigigaoka Middle School prided itself on its strong students, and to them, being akumatized was not a sign of being strong. In fact, it was a sign of being weak.

Kurahashi shuffled to her seat and sat down gingerly, as her classmates' gaze turned towards her. She avoided their eyes and stared at the table.

Last time somebody from their school got akumatized, Okano was looked on with judging stares too. But, Okano treated it as if was nothing, and after Maehara apologized to Okano for partly causing the akuma, the fuss died down. Besides, Okano was in the school gymnastics team, and was notorious for kicking people (read: Maehara) when she got mad.

Kurahashi was different. She was more gentle and harmless, and that made her an easy target for bullies. She didn't know how to stand up for herself, and could just helplessly stand there as the negative comments stabbed her in the back.

Chiba had been in his seat when this all happened. He felt a fury rise inside him (he felt oddly protective of people these days), and wanted to say something to defend Kurahashi, but he couldn't find the words to do so. Everytime he wanted to make a comeback, his lack of confidence always pulled him down.

 _You're so useless in this form,_ he said to himself. _If you were transformed, you would not have hesitated to help her._

However, a few more insults later (and Kurahashi looking like she was about to burst into tears), Chiba decided he had enough. He stood up abruptly, chair making a loud creaking noise as it was pulled back.

"You all should stop saying that. Being akumatized doesn't mean you're weak." Chiba began in a clear voice. Immediately, everybody, and I mean _everybody_ , whipped their heads to him, surprised that the quiet kid in class was talking. Even Kurahashi stopped staring at her table to look at him.

Chiba felt awkward with so many people's eyes on him, and almost sat back down due to pressure. But he made himself continue.

"Everyone has their bad days. It's just a matter of luck if Kochou decides he wanted to akumatize you. So it's not her fault." Chiba said in a steely voice.

His classmates began to murmur, which made Chiba feel uneasy and his confidence began to plummet.

"So says the emo," somebody said. The people around them nodded in agreement.

Chiba was frustrated. When he was young, he didn't have long bangs and showed his eyes, but his classmates bullied him because his eyes scared them. Upset, Chiba grew out his bangs to cover his eyes, but _now_ they didn't like his hairstyle.

It was then he realized no matter what he did, his classmates would still think of him as weird and unapproachable. Chiba resigned himself to that sad fact. He had been lucky that Okajima and Sugaya didn't think of him as a peculiar person, although they (especially Sugaya) still took a great interest in his eyes.

"He's right," another sharp voice rang in the classroom. As if controlled by some external force, everybody spun to the origin of the voice, which was by the door. To their shock, it was Hayami.

Neither Chiba or Hayami spoke much in class, and everybody thought of them as mutes. The classmates began to feel a slight dread settle inside them. If even the two quietest people in the class started to talk, _something_ was up.

Hayami entered, cold green eyes sweeping over the room. "People can't control themselves from being akumatized. If you want to blame someone, blame Kochou, not the victim."

Hayami walked to a surprised Kurahashi and stood by her side, sending her classmates with a challenging look, daring them to talk back. Knowing the girl was serious, the class gradually fell back into their usual chattering.

 _How… cool…_ Chiba thought, respect for Hayami rising. The girl turned to him and nodded slightly in gratitude. Chiba gave a small smile, glad that he and Hayami had successfully defended Kurahashi.

Both Hayami and Chiba kept a lookout for people who might be depressed to stop them from being akumatized. Sometimes, their more confident, superhero self would come out, but other times, they would be scared of talking. Their kwamis often chatted about that while their holders were in lesson.

Tikki took a bite of a cookie and said, "I think our holders are becoming less insecure and braver."

"We _did_ make the right decision after all," Plagg mused, lazing on an upturned bucket.

"It's really nice to see them changing for good!" Tikki smiled. "Anyways Plagg, how's the love square going on your part?"

Plagg snorted. "I think he doesn't believe that he actually has a crush at first. Now, he's acting like a bumbling lovesick fool. I prefer the old one."

Tikki giggled, which sounded like music to Plagg (not that he would ever say it). "They're always like that! Ah, young love."

"Yeah yeah, you take amusement in that," Plagg waved a hand and closed his eyes.

"It's entertaining, watching them fall in love with each other without knowing it!" Tikki insisted, blue eyes wide with excitement.

"It's funny, I can say."

"This time's going to be a slow burn romance," Tikki predicted, gobbling up the last bit of her cookie.

"Very _very_ slow burn, considering their personalities," Plagg agreed. He gave a yawn, and said, "I'm gonna sleep."

"The bell's going to go in ten minutes," Tikki reminded him, and flew by his side.

"Actually… do you wonder what Nooroo's going through?" Tikki asked, her sunny expression fading as she thought about her fellow kwami.

Plagg sighed. "Sucks to be him. We're lucky, I suppose, despite the lack of quality Camembert."

"We'll defeat Kochou soon," Tikki said optimistically. "Nooroo will come back to us!"

"Without casualties, I hope," Plagg added darkly. Tikki knew that was a sore spot of his, so she didn't try to rub it in further. The two kwamis shared a quiet moment together, lying side by side.

"We've got to go!" Tikki said suddenly when she remembered the time. "Rinka-chi's gonna worry!"

"Mmm," Plagg muttered, annoyed because he had almost fallen asleep, but he had to wake up. Curse his bad luck.

Speaking of his luck, it had probably rubbed onto Chiba too. One time an akuma appeared while Chiba was bathing, and he had rush out suddenly, his hair still a sopping mess (fortunately, Ladybug didn't mind). Another time, Black Cat had wanted to visit Hayami's house to properly thank her for helping him when he was a cat (Plagg thought Chiba just wanted to see her), but Ladybug caught him. Black Cat had been very embarrassed, because his actions made him seem like one of those weirdo stalkers.

Plagg and Tikki also realized that their holders' workload had increased significantly, mainly because they had decided to take other people's loads on their shoulders, and because of the upcoming exams. This, coupled with their superhero duties, had lead to pressure and stress. Tikki had to remind Hayami again to again to take things easy, while Plagg just told Chiba to play video games like normal boys his age. Plus, those two were so determined to protect people from akumas even in civilian form, and that only burdened them more.

During lunch break, Hayami walked to seat and sat down. She had successfully chased away some of Kurahashi's bullies, plus somehow managed to comfort a student who had been crying by the vending machines. Apparently, Black Cat was also being nice to people at his school in an effort to reduce akumas, but no major changes happened.

Chiba had his book propped up, as his sleepy eyes peered at the lines of text on it. He was feeling tired these days, and Plagg told him that he thought he might be coming down with something. Being a stubborn person, Chiba refused to take sick leave, and instead worked even more furiously as if that would erase his light-headedness. Ladybug was aware of her partner's condition, but he only answered "I'm okay" whenever she asked him about it. Ladybug didn't want to seem too pushy, so she let him be, although she kept a close eye on him and unconsciously took damage for him.

As the days passed, even Chiba could not hide his sickness from himself. His headache worsened, and his body felt weak. He secretly took medicine (Chiba was determined to not let his family know), but because he didn't have enough rest, his sickness didn't go away.

Ladybug's concern only raised with time as she saw Black Cat wasn't getting better. She had a sinking suspicion that he was under a lot of stress. So one day, she approached him cautiously and talked to him.

"Hey… you can rest if you want. I can patrol on my own."

Black Cat didn't reply at first, and there was silence, the only sound being their footsteps on the rooftops. He was annoyed, mostly annoyed at himself for being unable to get better, so he was in quite a bad mood.

"I'm okay," Black Cat repeated the words he had countlessly said to himself and his kwami. He used his baton to push himself but almost lost his balance, landing awkwardly. Ladybug frowned as she swung herself forward using her yoyo.

"You sure?"

Black Cat was so tired; physically tired and mentally tired. He honestly wanted a break, but he knew if he rested, the workload would be even heavier than before. He was tired, so tired of his kwami's reminders to rest, so tired of Ladybug looking after him because _he could take care of himself,_ so tired of everything. And something snapped inside Black Cat.

"Yes, I'm fine," the boy exclaimed with more emotion than he usually did. He became agitated and the words fell out of his mouth before he could think, "Are you saying I'm useless?"

"No!" Ladybug replied, getting anxious because of Black Cat's touchy behavior. "I'm just worried!"

"You're saying I can't handle things on my own," Black Cat muttered, walking ahead. "You don't trust me."

Ladybug winced when she heard his words. She knew both of them valued trust and respect greatly, and losing trust was an immense sore spot. The girl wanted to say something, but in the end, she remained quiet.

And not another word was passed between the two as the night stretched on.

* * *

"I might have been a bit too harsh with Ladybug," Chiba said to Plagg sometime later.

Plagg gave a "hmph" and didn't even turn his head to acknowledge his holder. Chiba translated that "hmph" as "you know you've done something wrong and I'm still mad at you so I'm ignoring you".

As they approached Kunigigaoka Middle School, Plagg zoomed inside Chiba's bag. The clouds above them were grey and the sunlight faintly shone through them. _It feels like it's going to rain,_ Chiba thought. Suddenly struck by a thought, the boy opened his bag and rummaged through it.

"Hmm? Wassup?" Plagg asked sleepily.

Chiba sighed. "I forgot my umbrella," he said dejectedly after he had gone through every corner of his bag.

"Run home to get it?" Plagg suggested.

"No, I'm going to be late if I go back," Chiba replied, internally cursing his bad luck. He had never been late, and he was rather proud of that, so he didn't want to break his streak.

"I'm hoping it doesn't rain a lot," Chiba muttered half to himself, half to Plagg as he closed his bag and continued walking. He took a quick look at the time displayed on his phone screen, and walked even more briskly.

Meanwhile, Hayami was already at school, facing three people who were looking disapprovingly at her.

"I can't believe you can't finish it," the first girl declared, waving a piece of paper in the air. "It's not that hard."

"And you didn't do my part, too," the second girl said, arms crossed as she frowned. "I trusted you!"

"I thought you could help me. But I was wrong," the final girl said coldly.

Hayami bit her lip and endured all of their comments silently. She was so worried about Black Cat, she kept thinking about him and couldn't focus on her work the others gave her. Besides, Tikki had managed to convince her holder to sleep earlier, so she didn't stay up at night concentrating on work.

 _It's my fault,_ Hayami thought. _It's all my bad._

"We're not going to ask you for favours again. It's clear that you're not trustable."

Hayami felt her heart go numb. "I'm sorry," she choked out. It felt automatic, yet unnatural at the same time.

" _I'm sorry," she said to her mother when she got 60% on a test._

" _I'm sorry," she said to Black Cat when she came to an akuma fight late._

" _I'm sorry," she said to herself when she failed to do a task she set for herself._

But Hayami always did her best. She tried so very hard to make others happy. She couldn't exactly say "I'll do it better next time" when she had gave it all her might.

The girls ignored her, and with a toss of their heads, they went away. Hayami could gradually feel cold, hard disappointment settling inside her. Remembering the incident with Black Cat last night made her feel worse.

 _I just want to help. I just want to make things better._

 _And I failed._

Another thought appeared in her mind.

 _I'm a failure._

The girl stood up abruptly, pushing her chair backwards.

 _I'm talking to Tikki. She'll cheer me up._

As Hayami walked out of the room, Chiba entered. His eyes lit up when he saw Hayami. Her arm lightly brushed past his, and his heart skipped a beat.

Chiba tilted his head slightly until Hayami disappeared from view.

 _Focus!_ He scolded himself. _This is not the time to be ogling after a girl!_

He was thankful that Plagg was in his bag and missed the scene. He wasn't sure if he could bear with his kwami's annoying teasing.

Hayami made her way to the toilets and locked herself in a cubicle. Tikki immediately flew out, knowing exactly what her holder wanted, as she had overheard the conversation.

"It's okay, Rinka-chi," Tikki comforted Hayami. "You can't always succeed in life. There's got to be bumps and problems."

"I know," Hayami said. "I'm just… sad that lately, everything I do just doesn't work out."

"You don't have to try to solve everything on your own!" Tikki smiled in hopes to bring Hayami's mood up. "We'll all help you!"

Hayami exhaled, looking at the red kwami on her lap. A small grin made its way to her face. "I can't afford to be sad. I'm Ladybug. I have to stay optimistic."

"That's the spirit!" Tikki encouraged. "And don't forget, I'm always here for you!"

Tikki zoomed back to her hiding spot and Hayami went back to the classroom. She knew it was a stressful week and she wanted to see which people were more depressed, to hopefully prevent them from being akumatized.

A lone boy caught her eye. His eyes were covered by his bangs, which gave off a mysterious aura. He was silently reviewing materials, and, although it wasn't very noticeable, Hayami could see that his cheeks were redder than usual, which meant he was sick.

Hayami hadn't talked to Chiba a lot. She could only remember he was one of the people she had saved during the first akuma attack. But she observed that he had been ill for the past week and he was very quiet, so Hayami thought he might need some concern. Who knew what sort of emotions he could hide behind his long fringe. She certainly didn't want him akumatized.

Loud whispers caught her attention. Hayami turned and saw the same girls she had talked to that morning. When they saw Hayami, they immediately silenced and acted like they weren't talking in the first place.

Hayami had a sinking suspicion that they were talking about her, and not in a good way. The girl tried to shrug it off, but the nasty feeling remained. _Don't let it get to you._

A bitter feeling rose in her chest, and she bit her lip. Hayami sat back down, fingers absentmindedly searching for a textbook in her bag. It had became a practice; to work whenever something bothered her.

Unlike a lot of people, Hayami actually liked working. She felt productive and useful, and she could become a mindless working machine at times.

 _Just revise. Just read. Just work._

 _Wash those bad feelings away._

* * *

"Another group project," Sugaya muttered under his breath. Nonetheless, he put his pen down to listen to further details.

"Divide yourselves into groups of four. The project shall be submitted after the winter holidays, and the marking scheme is…" the teacher droned on and on.

Sugaya poked Chiba's back and leaned forward. "Hey, we're forming a group with Okajima, okay?"

Chiba gave a nod. "We need one more person," he said.

Hayami sighed internally. She wasn't a fan of group projects, and liked to work on her own. She supposed she would join Yada and Kurahashi's group, seeing she was comparatively close to them.

The class began to form groups of their own. Hayami stood up and made her way to Yada's, but to her slight confusion and fear, she had already formed a group with Kurahashi and two other girls.

Yada was trying to talk to the girls beside her. Obviously, Yada wanted Hayami to join their group, but it looked like her negotiations weren't successful. She gave Hayami an apologetic look.

Hayami felt numb, but that disappeared in an instant. She caught a smirk on a girl's face, and she immediately realized what was happening.

 _So that's their plan, huh? To isolate me? As some sort of twisted revenge?_

Hayami couldn't afford to feel sad, betrayed, whatever. A sudden surge of determination rose inside her, and she strode to where a trio of boys were standing awkwardly.

"Can I join your group?"

Her words were short and direct, and Hayami could hardly believe what she was saying. She supposed she was being blinded by her damn emotions from being let alone.

Sugaya blinked, surprised by Hayami's bluntness. He and Okajima shared a look, before turning to Chiba, who probably looked as confused as they were (the boys could not tell).

"You're missing one person, right?" Hayami prompted.

"Yeah… well, you _can_ join our group," Sugaya said, and suddenly felt like he was being unwelcoming and hesitant. Hayami felt the reality of her actions sink in, and the only thing she could think of was, _well._

With Hayami joining, the awkward trio became an even more awkward quartet. Sugaya and Okajima felt really weird that some girl was joining their previously exclusively male group.

Chiba, however, was thinking of something else.

His sharp eyes had caught the fact that some girls had been trying to isolate Hayami on purpose, immediately sticking close to her friends. Chiba couldn't see Hayami's reaction, but he thought she must have felt bad and alone. He knew Hayami was a silent person, perhaps even more than he was, so maybe she just wanted a few friends she could talk with. And then, of course, some annoying girls had to ruin them all.

He had to give credit to Hayami for not running off to the bathroom to cry or something, which would mark the beginning of a typical akumatization happening in school.

 _Akumatization._

A shiver ran down Chiba's spine. Like Ladybug, he really didn't like fighting akumas, because they knew deep down they were all just innocent civilians. He would hate fighting people he knew, especially ( _god forbid_ ) his family, but he would also find it difficult to fight an akumatized Hayami.

He knew it would hurt him to see her hurt, because apparently, according to Plagg, he "loves her like he (Plagg) loves cheese". Plagg had stupid cheese analogies sometimes.

He wanted to stand up for Hayami, but he knew it would only make things worse, because a) a girl joining an all-boys-group voluntarily will _surely_ arouse rumours, and b) if he stood up for her, people might think there was something special between him and Hayami. And he didn't want Hayami to feel bad with more rumours.

"Hey! Chiba!" Sugaya nudged him, breaking him out of his thoughts. "You listening?"

"We should be talking about the work distribution," Hayami said coolly, taking Chiba's dazed look as a sign that he was indeed sick.

"Ah… yes," Chiba said, being tongue-twisted because of Hayami's presence. _You idiot, being lovesick when the one you like is feeling down… you're a terrible person._

Chiba couldn't say a word as Hayami assumed the post of the leader, assigning work to them. Normally, as the most organized person out of the original trio, he would have been doing Hayami's job, but Chiba was a bit stupefied and feeling under the weather. Both Sugaya and Okajima were shocked by Hayami's boldness, but not in a bad way.

 _That almost reminds me of how Ladybug works,_ Okajima thought about his celebrity crush dreamily.

Sugaya, however, quickly discovered the similarities between Chiba and Hayami. Their personalities were very much alike, and so were their working styles. _Oh my gosh, we've found Chiba's soulmate._

Chiba's heart skipped a beat when he remembered the cool Hayami he was seeing right now was the same one who had picked him up when he was turned into a cat. Her sweet smile could melt his heart. Although Chiba liked both sides of Hayami, he wanted to keep the cute side of Hayami to himself.

He was being rather selfish, but he wanted to be the only one that could see the soft part of Hayami. Besides, it looked like Hayami could need some support right now, so Chiba wanted to get closer to that girl classmate of his.

* * *

 _It could be worse._

Hayami was pretty thankful she had chosen to go to another group immediately. Yada and Kurahashi had spoken to her afterwards, and both of them were sorry that they couldn't be in a group with her. Hayami had waved it off, as she didn't want her friends to worry.

A chilly breeze blew past her in the corridor, and Hayami shivered. Winter would come soon, and so would exams, snow, and Christmas. But for now, it was raining heavily, with occasional flashes of lightning. Perhaps it could be a foreshadow of worse weather?

Hayami walked to front door, and identified Chiba standing there. In her opinion, he looked rather lost and disoriented, as he hovered around the door, yet never going out. The realization struck her. He didn't have an umbrella.

Hayami immediately felt concerned for the boy. He was sick, and it would be too risky for him to run home in the pouring rain. She didn't want his sickness to worsen. Thunder rumbled in the sky above them, and Hayami knew the rain wouldn't let up soon.

The girl sped back to her locker and fetched a spare umbrella she had at school. She cautiously made her way to the boy, who was still standing there. He stared forlornly at the rain outside.

Seeing the boy didn't notice her, Hayami decided to speak. She cleared her throat and said, "Umm, Chiba-kun?"

He spun to look towards her, bangs moving slightly but not enough to show his eyes. "Hayami-san?" he asked.

 _He's not scary at all, contrary to the popular saying,_ Hayami thought privately, but said, "... You don't have an umbrella, right?"

Chiba shifted on his feet. "Yeah. But I'll just run home and-"

"Take it."

"Huh?"

Chiba looked at Hayami's outstretched hand, an umbrella in it. She was facing him, yet her eyes were looking elsewhere. _She must be embarrassed._

Chiba's heart beat loudly and a blush rose on his cheeks. "I- I don't need it. I'll be okay."

"I have another umbrella. J-just take it," Hayami muttered.

Lighting illuminated the darkening school briefly, before a huge clap of thunder sounded.

"Okay," Chiba said and quickly took the umbrella, his fingers brushing past hers as he did so. His blush deepened, and an incredibly warm feeling flowed through him. After the exchange, the duo immediately turned to face the front again, but neither moved a step, as if they were waiting for something.

"You're sick too, right?" Hayami commented softly after a pause. The corners of her lips quirked up to form a faint smile. "Take care of yourself."

"T-thanks, Hayami-san," Chiba said.

Hayami looked like she was in thought for a while, but then she mentioned, "We're going to work with each other a lot in the future."

"Yeah, because of that important project," Chiba confirmed. There was a break of two seconds before they both said in unision, "Drop the honorifics?"

The two turned to each other in mild surprise. "So… I look forward to working with you, Hayami," Chiba said quickly in an effort to keep the conversation with his crush running.

"Ah. I look forward to working with you too, Chiba." Hayami opened her umbrella, and turned her head slightly to say a short "bye" before she walked away.

In a daze, Chiba stared at her. He couldn't move nor think properly for quite a few seconds. When the word "bye" finally stuttered out of his mouth, Hayami was already out of earshot.

He looked down at the umbrella in his hand, and with a smile, he opened it. He then stepped out of the door, the rain pattering furiously against the umbrella. After hearing a rumble of thunder, Chiba quickened his pace, but still, the only thing on his mind was the umbrella he was holding, and the girl who had given him that.

* * *

An akuma attack happened at night. Hayami immediately transformed and leapt out of the window. She ran nimbly across the streets, and people jumped out of the way, knowing the authority the girl had.

 _I wonder how Black Cat's doing_ , Ladybug mused. Her thoughts often drifted to her partner, but even more now ever since he became sick. His tired green eyes popped up in her mind, and Ladybug became tenser. Knowing him, he was probably trying to hide the fact that he was unwell from everyone, and convincing himself he could fight it on his own. That made her even more anxious.

After their exchange last night, Ladybug kept thinking about the boy. She kept wishing that she knew him in real life (that was impossible, right?) so she could go up to him and offer a helping hand. But for now, she had to settle with calming her distressed schoolmates.

A sudden, awful thought struck her mind. _What if Chiba had been akumatized?_ It was horrible enough to fight Kurahashi; she honestly did not want to be against her classmates, especially after she had felt closer to them after watching out for them. She flung her yoyo out and it caught on a lamppost as she swung herself forward. Ladybug rounded a corner, and-

Thank goodness the akuma didn't resemble any person she knew. It was a typical one, and they were wrecking buildings and creating damage, the usual akuma stuff. However, there was no sign of her cat partner. Ladybug bit her lip, but she still attacked the akuma, trying to find the akumatized item.

Thankfully, Black Cat arrived moments later. At that moment, they let go what they had discussing last night, as to cooperate and finish off the akuma. With their unique skills of "somehow reading the other's mind" and "moving in sync", they managed to defeat the akuma. Black Cat broke the akumatized item and Ladybug cleansed the butterfly, before releasing it and restoring the area.

Black Cat almost automatically raised his hand for a fistbump, but he put it down, hesitating. Ladybug did the same thing, and as she sneaked a look at Black Cat, she realized they were going through identical feelings.

Black Cat raised his hand anyway, and turned to Ladybug. He gave a small, apologetic smile and whispered, "Sorry."

Ladybug gently hit his hand with her fist. "Apology accepted." She was about to speak more when a beep from her earrings interrupted her.

"Three dots," Black Cat informed his partner.

Ladybug gave him a look. "We'll talk tonight on patrol."

Black Cat knew Ladybug had mostly forgiven him, but still, they needed to lay out their thoughts and feelings. They still had that kind of invisible barrier around them, although that had decreased during the months they had spent together. Black Cat couldn't deny the fact that Ladybug had became his closest friend, although he didn't know her identity.

 _If I know you in real life, I'm sure we'll get along._

* * *

 **A/N: Wow. More follows and favourites! Love ya all! Thanks for taking time to read my fanfic, which admittedly has a lot of clichés (I'm a huge sucker for some of them). And yeah… can't forget that umbrella scene.**

 **BY THE WAY THAT DARK OWL EPISODE WAS A BOMBSHELL LIKE MOST S2 EPISODES SO FAR. My heart… and it's only the eighth episode.**

 **If you have the time, please consider to write a review! :D**

 **I'll try my best to come up with a Christmas chapter, but no promises, as I know I'll be busy.**

 **Thanks for reading! :)**


	8. Christmas Special!

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.**

* * *

"Wow… first snow of the year…"

Black Cat and Ladybug looked up at the white, angelic puffs of snow that descended from the sky. It was roughly eleven at night at that time, so most people were asleep. However, the superhero duo had to patrol daily, and so had to sacrifice some of their time.

 _It's so quiet,_ Black Cat thought. Everything felt so peaceful, so serene. It felt like he and Ladybug were the only people under the dark sky, Christmas lights twinkling in through the town. Flakes of snow landed on his head and his cat ears twitched, sensitive to the cold. A giddy feeling rose in his heart. _Christmas is coming soon!_

Ladybug was admiring the scene when she suddenly sneezed. A shiver coursed down her body and she rubbed her legs together. A snowflake landed on her nose and it melted, the cold seeping into her skin.

"Bless you," Black Cat said automatically, brushing the snow off his head.

Ladybug stared at the snow that fluttered down. Tikki had told her that being the ladybug miraculous holder came with side effects, and one of them was being extra vulnerable to the cold. The kwami had warned that the first year would be particularly bad, and afterwards the holders would get used to it. To prepare, Hayami had already bought a new coat and several scarfs.

She didn't want to mention it to Black Cat as to not make him worry, and besides, his kwami might have already talked about it.

 _It's ironic,_ Ladybug thought. _Some time ago it was him being ill, and now it's my turn._

An unexpected crash caught their attention. "Akuma!" both of them cried. Immediately, they sped off, clenching their baton and yoyo respectively.

Black Cat leapt forward, spinning his baton. He ran forward and smacked the akuma's head with his baton.

Ladybug was about to attack, but a gust of chilly wind caught her off guard.

 _So this winter sickness has already begun…_

Ladybug gritted her teeth. Unexpectedly, she sneezed again, which distracted her. The akuma nearly delivered a blow to her, but thankfully Black Cat managed to block it. Ladybug rubbed her nose, which was becoming slightly pink. Her numb fingers threw her yoyo, but it missed the target and bounced off. Black Cat turned to look at his partner, who gave him a rather forced smile.

 _I hope I can go through this season..._

* * *

"It's not _that_ cold, right?"

Hayami didn't reply as she wrapped her scarf tighter around her neck. Nakamura stood nonchalantly next to her, taking in Hayami's coat and her cheeks, which were red from the blowing wind.

"Winter just began, and you're indoors!" the breezy girl exclaimed. "Won't you get stuffy from all those layers of fabric?"

"I'll be fine," Hayami replied shortly.

"Wow!" Yada joined in the conversation. "That's a pretty coat, Rinka!"

"Yeah, I know," Hayami looked down at her clothes. "It's new."

"But honestly, for me, I don't feel cold at all," Nakamura said. "And by the way, my homeroom teacher sucks, he actually…"

The girls began to chat, and a few seats away, Chiba watched Sugaya draw.

"You draw a lot," Chiba observed. Sugaya was focused on his drawing, which were Ladybug and Black Cat in winter gear. Black Cat wore a knitted beanie with cat ears, and a scarf with a pawprint on it. Ladybug wore a long scarf. The pencil sketch of Ladybug was unfinished, and Chiba was glad that Sugaya didn't drew him and Ladybug sharing scarfs, or in some sort of romantic position.

"Yeah, I like drawing," Sugaya replied, as he sharpened his pencil.

"You know," Chiba began to voice out his question, which had been brewing for quite some time. "I don't peg you as a romantic person, but you draw a lot of couple scenes."

Sugaya stopped drawing. "Well, I suppose I've been requested to draw them. And people like them."

"... I may be wrong, but don't artists draw when they feel like drawing? Not always when people request them?"

"Hmm…" Sugaya looked down at his sketch, where the drawings of Ladybug and Black Cat grinned up at him. To be honest, the artist himself had to think for a while.

He remembered how his parents and people around him had praised his artistic talent when he was young. As Sugaya grew older, they began to focus more on his studies than his artistic skills. Sugaya was not academically talented, but unfortunately, nobody seemed to care about his other talent. They only wanted him to have good grades.

Sugaya had been sad and frustrated. He didn't care about his studies. He was sure if his artistic talent was developed properly, he could make a living without having good grades hanging like a trophy on his head. He refused to stop drawing, and he posted his drawings online.

Sugaya was happy to see that people liked his drawings. It felt like people were finally beginning to recognize his talent. He felt acknowledged. He felt proud of himself.

His first follower on pixiv was very encouraging. They praised him and offered him support. Sugaya was unused to attention, but gladly accepted it. Later, when he began to post his drawings on the Ladyblog, he was surprised to find out that his initial follower from pixiv was a member of the Ladyblog too. Although, even after Sugaya had hundreds of followers, he still had a special place in his heart for his first follower.

There were sometimes when Sugaya wanted acceptance from people, so he drew what he knew people would like, in order to keep the encouragement and views coming.

"..." Sugaya couldn't answer.

"Is it because that person on the Ladyblog gives you a lot of requests?" Okajima butted in.

"Maybe."

"Ooooh," Okajima drawled in a tone that made Sugaya immediately annoyed. "Is that an internet crush you have? Since you do a lot of stuff for them?"

"No," Sugaya answered simply, ignoring Okajima's ooohing noises. "And so says Okajima, who has a hopeless celebrity crush on Ladybug."

"Hmph. She's my goddess." Okajima crossed his arms. "Don't compare her to your internet obsession."

"Seriously Okajima, stop making things out of nowhere," Sugaya said good-naturedly as he continued to draw.

Meanwhile, one the girls' side, Nakamura had left the class to talk with _more_ people. Which left Yada commenting on Hayami's current condition.

Hayami had been continuously sneezing for a few times. The arrival of the wintry weather did nothing to make her feel better. Her nose was runny and she often shivered even if just a light breeze blew past.

"Are you okay?" Yada asked after Hayami's fifth sneeze. Hayami gave a curt nod, but was interrupted by another sneeze. Yada shot her friend a concerned look and put a packet of tissue on her desk. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

Hayami grunted in reply, too busy blowing her nose. Suddenly, a high pitched scream pierced through the casual chatting of the class. They became quiet and their focus turned to the corridor outside, where the scream had sounded.

"Oh my gosh! An akuma!" an excited voice gasped. Chiba poked his head out and saw a girl with short purple hair, eyes alight as she looked upon the akuma that was presumably outside. Chiba vaguely recognized her as one of the crazy manga fans in their year, but that was no time for recalling people's names and faces, because-

The classroom immediately broke into chaos, and the discomposed yet stimulated students dashed out of the classroom, half wanting to get a glimpse of the akuma, and half wanting to escape. Chiba stayed behind in the classroom to transform, and to his slight annoyance, Hayami noticed him and glanced over with a puzzled look. Hayami had wanted to transform too when she was alone in the classroom, but for some reason, Chiba lingered. So she was rather confused.

 _I'll just go out,_ Chiba thought, not really faltered. He had learned from his experience from being that superhero that he always, _always_ needed a backup plan. He however, was feeling rather gratified that Hayami had noticed him- _wait,_ he had to focus!

He ran down the stairs to a less crowded space, nearly slipping down. For the akuma to be in such a close proximity to the school, a student must had been akumatized. Chiba's mood turned sour but he quickly regained his usual composure. The boy looked to the right and to the left, before transforming in a flash of light.

Black Cat was pretty observant. Ever since the snowing on Friday night, he had realized that Ladybug seemed to be sensitive to the cold. Because of his vulnerability to water, Black Cat also shivered when his feet crunched on the slippery, wet snow.

Hopefully, when their abilities were blunted by the weather, the akumas would too. Black Cat gritted his teeth, and saw a red figure zooming out. _Ladybug._

He sidled up to his partner, and she appeared to be in worse health. Ladybug was rubbing her arms to warm herself. The wind lashed at her pale face, but she asserted the situation as cooly as ever.

The akuma was wildly flinging snow at the students, wailing at the same time. The students screamed and ran away. Ladybug and Black Cat thought it was most likely another bully incident.

The akuma swerved towards them, eyes glinting as they raised a gigantic snowball in their hands. Instinctively, Black Cat placed an arm in front of Ladybug to protect her.

The akuma gave an evil grin and tossed the snowball towards them. Black Cat and Ladybug dived away in opposite directions, and the snowball smashed to the ground, little pieces of snow flying out.

Ladybug coughed as she felt snow slap on her back and she nearly tripped. The girl sniffed, brushing the snow off. She could hear Black Cat beginning to attack, and she joined him, despite her fingers growing numb from the cold.

Ladybug breathed out, puffs of white mist appearing. The wind cut against her cheek like a knife and she could barely hear the familiar whizzing of her yoyo due to the strong gale. She wobbled on her knees slightly.

Black Cat frowned a bit. His eyes widened when he felt a huge clump of snow collapse on top of him. The boy shuddered, icy crystals stuck in his hair and his cat ears trembled in the cold. He didn't stop though and broke out from the snow. He leapt onto the akuma, clutching the akuma in a tight grip to stop him from slipping off.

Ladybug's feet slid around the snow as she ran around the akuma, trying to locate the akumatized item. In a hurry, she slipped, body splatting on the cold mush. Ladybug looked up and to her horror, white filled her vision as the akuma dumped snow on top of her.

"Ladybug!" Black Cat yelled, and immediately jumped off the akuma, scrambling towards the girl. He panted and began to frantically dig the snow away, ignoring his freezing fingers. "Ladybug!" he called again.

The cold was burning her and her legs felt stiff. It felt like hundreds of icy snakes were biting on Ladybug's face, and she was chilled to the bone. Blindly, she tried to wipe the snow off, but a hand closed around her wrist and yanked her away. Knowing that was her partner, Ladybug stumbled after him, knees going weak and the harshness of the weather seemed to intensify. She gasped for breath, the frigid wind sapping the heat from her.

"Look out!" Black Cat cried as the akuma flung another snowball at them. The duo barely escaped but Ladybug lost her balance, slamming onto Black Cat. His body heat comforted her temporarily before she pulled herself off him. She sniffed, a slight blue tint on her cheeks.

"You okay?" Black Cat asked as he spun his baton to shield them from the snow flying in their direction. Ladybug held his shoulder to steady herself.

"I'm fine," she managed to say as she shook her head to get the snow off. "T-thanks," she muttered.

Ladybug was still shaken by the cold even after they had defeated the akuma. She rubbed her cheeks in an attempt to warm them up.

"Take care of yourself," Black Cat said, concerned. He noticed that snow was beginning to accumulate on Ladybug's head, so he swept it off. Ladybug peeked at him and her sharp emerald eyes met his cat-like eyes.

Ladybug exhaled, a puff of white mist forming. "I will," she muttered, remembering that Yada had asked almost the exact same question. "Don't worry, Black Cat."

Her partner only wished she was right. Although he only liked her in a platonic way, Ladybug was still his precious friend, one he felt at ease with. He didn't want anything to happen to her.

* * *

"Ack!" Hayami yelped as a gust of wind slashed against her the second after she detransformed. The cold seemed to return with twice the force than when she was Ladybug. Apparently, her Ladybug suit could give her more protection from the cold.

"I'm m-more like a ladybug when I'm not, well, L-ladybug," Hayami murmured under her breath, teeth chattering as she stuffed her numb hands into her pockets. The cold latched onto her, the icy fingers creeping over her skin. Ducking her head from the falling flakes, the girl hurried back to her classroom, where she met up with the rest of her classmates.

"Rinka-chan!" Kurahashi cried and waved at her. Hayami gave a weak grin in reply. Kurahashi's eyes widened and she gasped, "You look really cold!"

Hayami didn't say anything as Kurahashi flung one half of her scarf over her. "It must be that naughty akuma," Kurahashi said absentmindedly, half to herself and half to Hayami. She and Yada huddled close to Hayami to share their body heat. Hayami was grateful for her friends and she began to feel warmer.

Okajima and his friends happened to walk past the trio of girls. Overhearing their conversation, Okajima said flirtatiously, "You can share my body heat if you want."

"Ugh," Kurahashi and Yada deadpanned in unison, and Hayami just commented, "Are you a second Maehara?"

Sugaya then smacked Okajima in the stomach.

"Ouch!" Okajima cried and he rubbed where he had been hit. He glared at Sugaya. "What the heck, man?"

"You can't flirt or do anything inappropriate to Hayami," Sugaya replied.

"And why is that?!"

Sugaya sighed, and sneaked a peek at Chiba. Chiba looked away, pretending not to notice, and Sugaya gave a smirk. "Well, she's in our group for the project, so we can't scare away the only girl, alright?"

Okajima huffed. "And you didn't tell me?"

Sugaya snorted, amused yet exasperated at Okajima. "We thought you need to be caught by surprise."

"Wait. _We_?" Okajima swerved to look at Chiba. "I'm pretty sure _you're_ the one who made this rule up."

Chiba didn't reply, but self consciously touched his bangs to make sure they were in place. The boys took that action as a sign that the Chiba was nervous.

"Haha!" Okajima grinned. "Look who's protective? Now all three of us have crushes-"

"I don't," both Sugaya and Chiba cut in together. Okajima raised an eyebrow, but couldn't detect any sign of denial in their expressions, so he let it go.

The class was muttering excitedly about the akuma when clear footsteps sounded. As if muted, the corridor switched to being deadly quiet, as silent as a tomb. Chairman Asano strode down the corridor as terrified students leapt out of his way, a smile on his face, but the look in his eyes were chilling and nobody dared to stare at him.

Chairman Asano stopped and looked at Chiba's class, a strange sort of smirk on his lips. "You all are students of this school. You are not weak. Do not let yourselves be possessed by fear and anxiety." The chairman seemed to specifically focus on Kurahashi as he said those words, and Hayami felt the innocent girl next to her shiver.

With bated breaths, the class watched as the chairman's back grew smaller as he walked away. After the class had determined that the chairman was far enough, hushed whispers broke out among them. Yada placed her hand on Kurahashi's shoulder to show her support.

However, Chiba's expression was grim. _I believe Chairman Asano just made things worse._

* * *

"Mom? Are you okay?"

Tikki flew around Hayami's room, munching on a cookie.

"Ah, I understand. I'll be fine."

The kwami watched as her holder's feet paced around the room.

"Yeah, I'll do that."

Hayami stopped walking.

"Merry Christmas to you too, Mom."

The girl put her phone down and ended the call. Wordlessly, she sat on top of her bed and hugged a cat plushie. The kwami stopped flying and hovered next to Hayami.

"Rinka-chi?"

"Hmm?"

"... Your mom's not coming back for Christmas?"

Hayami looked at the plushie with a wry smile before looking up at Tikki. "Yeah. She was on a business trip and got stuck in a blizzard. She won't make it back in time."

Tikki was silent for a moment. Then she said, "It's lucky that you have me with you, at least."

To be honest, Tikki didn't know everything about Hayami's family. Her mother was stern and a bit distant, and the kwami hadn't heard anything about her dad, because neither mother nor daughter had mentioned him. Tikki assumed that it was something she should not know about, so she didn't inquire.

"Yeah, thanks for that Tikki," Hayami reached for a cookie to hand to Tikki, but there were none. The girl promptly stood up to go to the kitchen to get more cookies.

Once her holder went out, Tikki flew over to Hayami's desk, where a few pieces of cut fabric and sewing materials laid. Tikki took a piece of fabric and felt it. The quality was rather good.

Just then, Hayami returned, a new plate of cookies in one hand and a cup of warm tea in the other.

"I can work on the gift now," Hayami remarked as she looked at the clock. She set the plate and the cup down and hopped into her bed, wrapping herself in warm blankets. She rearranged the pile of cat plushies and finally settled down.

"He's going to love it," Tikki grinned.

Hayami gave a small smile in return. "I hope he does." The girl picked up a needle and began to sew two pieces of fabric together.

Hayami planned to make Black Cat a small cat plushie for Christmas. Originally, she was at a complete lost at what to give him, but after taking Tikki's advice, she decided to make something herself. Hayami usually didn't give homemade gifts but she knew Black Cat would appreciate it. He was also her fighting partner and had saved her multiple times, so he deserved something better than a pack of stationery.

On the day of Christmas Eve, snow whirled outside Hayami's window as she sewed at a steady pace. After two hours, Hayami finished, and she carefully sewed the opening after she had stuffed cotton inside it.

"Hmm," Hayami looked at her handiwork, satisfied. She turned it around and pressed a finger on the plushie's head, the hand-sewn features grinning up at her.

"Wow! That's adorable!" Tikki praised, flitting around the plushie, which roughly the size of Hayami's palm. The plushie was round and black with protruding cat ears, two dots for eyes and a little mouth stretched into a cute smile. Tikki peered at the plushie from behind and saw that her holder had even sewn a tiny green paw print on the other side of the plushie.

Hayami noticed what her kwami was looking at. "That's to remind him that I gave it to him," she explained. "But it's also small enough to hide it easily. I do hope it's not obvious."

Hayami placed the plushie on her desk. "Now I have to cook dinner," she said and rose up.

* * *

Christmas was a busy time for Chiba.

He had a big family, but his extended family was even bigger. So, at around Christmastime, there would be tons of dinners with relatives.

On Christmas Eve, Chiba would have dinner with his family and the relatives on his mom's side. His aunt had just given birth to a new son so there was special excitement in the air. And because he and his sixteen-year-old sister Shiho were the oldest children, a lot of their relatives asked if they were dating.

The eldest Chiba children did their best poker face with a signature death glare.

"Well, there's still next year," a relative said cheerfully. Neither of them replied.

"Wow! It's a baby!" Chiba's youngest sister, Minori gasped at the little bundle their aunt held in her arms. "Can I hold him!"

Chiba's mom petted Minori's head. "Sweetie, I'm afraid you can't, because the baby is very fragile. Maybe when you're older?"

Minori's face fell. Meanwhile, Shiho gently took the baby from her aunt, long black hair swishing. "Aww," she said, smiling down at the baby, who giggled and played with her hair.

"Ryuunosuke, do you want to hold him?" Chiba's aunt asked. Chiba's entire body tensed up when he heard his name. "Uh, umm…"

He was about to refuse, but the entire family (including his younger sisters) were staring at him with judgmental looks. Chiba swallowed his refusal and managed to say, "Okay."

It wasn't like Chiba hated kids. In fact, he could look after young kids pretty efficiently (given his experience with babysitting his younger sisters). But Chiba's eyes had scared every child he had looked after. Because kids were shorter than him, they could peer at his eyes from below. Chiba still had the negative memories of his younger sisters crying and feeling helpless and worthless. And that was the main reason why he didn't want to hold his baby cousin.

But under pressure from his family, he did it anyway. The baby's eyes were big and innocent, so unlike Chiba's (he hated pictures of him as a baby). The baby was so small and vulnerable, and naturally Chiba felt an urge to protect him.

However, the baby looked up and glimpsed the infamous red eyes. The baby broke into tears immediately, and Chiba's mood sank to rock bottom, knowing he had caused this.

"He's probably hungry," Chiba's mom said hastily, knowing her son's insecurity about his eyes. Chiba quickly passed the baby back to his aunt, biting his lip.

He hated how he always scared people, especially kids. He tried to make himself less threatening, but they only looked at his hairstyle weirdly. Chiba stayed silent for the rest of the meal, listening to his sisters conversing happily.

That was why he was so reluctant on revealing his identity to Ladybug. He didn't want her to look at him oddly like most other people did.

Chiba's mom was aware of her son's sullenness, and wanted to cheer him up. "Hey, how about we make cookies tomorrow?"

"Cookies? Ooh!"

"Wow! I wanna eat them!"

"Let's do it!"

Chiba's younger sisters Minori and Fumiko talked excitedly among themselves. Shiho nodded, giving her approval.

"Then let's shop after dinner!" Chiba's dad suggested.

"We can have some family bonding time on Christmas Day!" Chiba's mom chimed in.

Chiba might not like being around people too much, but he also wanted to spend time with his family, after weeks of constant studying and isolating himself in his room. The rest of the family looked at him for approval. He opened his mouth to voice his opinion.

"Ooh, sounds like a good idea. Let's do it."

* * *

On the night of Christmas Eve, the iconic duo patrolled over the roofs of Kunugigaoka Town. Ladybug was still cold, so she had a red scarf around her neck, the ends of the scarf flying out behind her. Black Cat was feeling rather festive due to the influence of his family, so he wanted to spread the Christmas spirit to his good friend.

"What are you doing for Christmas?" Black Cat inquired casually as they hopped and leapt.

"At home, I suppose," Ladybug replied. "With my kwami."

Black Cat sniffed, thinking about his own kwami. "Your kwami is nice, unlike mine."

"Hey, be a bit softer with them," Ladybug said in a teasing tone. "They give you powers, after all."

"I know," Black Cat remembered that Plagg had changed his eyes to a less creepy pair, which boosted his confidence. "How about your family?"

Once those words came out, the boy immediately regretted it, because Ladybug's face fell. _Crap, I hit a sore spot._ Wisely, Black Cat waited for a few seconds before saying, "I'm sorry."

Ladybug waved a hand dismissively. "Nah. It's just that mother got stuck in the snow and probably can't make it back tomorrow."

"Oh." Black Cat noticed that Ladybug didn't mention her father, so he decided to avoid that topic. He knew it was some territory he should not enter.

There was silence as the duo continued to patrol under the night sky, Christmas lights twinkling throughout the town. Some people were crowded around the town's gigantic Christmas tree, counting down the minutes to the Christmas. They waved when they caught sight of the heroes, windblown cheeks flushing red. Ladybug and Black Cat waved back, before continuing their way.

"Hey, kitty, do you have siblings?" Ladybug asked, preoccupied with fixing her scarf around her neck.

"Yeah, three." Black Cat answered. Then he realized something, and his eyebrows raised in confusion. "Did you just call me 'kitty'?"

Ladybug's face turned tomato red, as she attempted to hide more of her face behind her scarf. "I-it was a slip of mouth. I d-didn't mean to call you that," she stuttered, voice growing smaller with every word.

"Ah, it's okay." Black Cat said. "But really, I'm not fond of pet names."

"I-is that so," Ladybug peeped, the blush on her face intensifying. She liked cats so much she would subconsciously call them "kitty" and for some reason her subconscious thought Black Cat was an actual cat. How mortifying.

It didn't help that Black Cat _had_ been turned into a real cat before, and Hayami had encountered him.

"I'm a single child," Ladybug said. "I wonder what it's like, having so many siblings."

"It's rather loud," her partner confessed. The his eyes flashed liquid green. "Wait, are you going to be alone for Christmas?" he almost yelled.

"I have my kwami," Ladybug replied. Her lips twisted into a bitter smile. "I won't be alone."

Black Cat had never experienced a Christmas on his own. It was rather staggering to see the difference between him and Ladybug, but he tried to keep the shocked look on his face minimal. Everyone came from different families, after all.

 _I feel bad for Ladybug… while I'm at home with my parents, three sisters, and my admittedly annoying kwami, she only has her kwami… the house must feel rather empty._

Ladybug could sense Black Cat's surprise. _Don't pity me,_ she thought. _I can't help it. I'll be fine even if I'm alone._

(But honestly, seeing her partner's concern for her would make her feel better.)

Ladybug shivered as flakes of snow fluttered on her skin. She rubbed her arms. _I'll be fine._

Black Cat's ears drooped when he thought about Ladybug. It felt kind of sad to be alone on Christmas, even if she didn't crave human contact. Besides, her house would be so quiet. Christmas was a time for family, and if her family weren't there, Christmas would have lost a great part of its meaning.

"You okay?" Black Cat was broken out of his thoughts by Ladybug. She was trembling slightly in the cold, but she was still concerned for him. At first, Black Cat was confused because it seemed like _he_ should be the one worried for Ladybug, but then she gently patted his head (AGAIN), saying, "Your ears are drooping."

 _Oh,_ Black Cat thought, cat ears instantly springing up when Ladybug touched them. Ladybug was amused at his reaction, and wondered out loud, "Hmm, are you kind of like a cat? Can you purr?"

The boy was glad that they had progressed to the step where they could talk about non-work things freely. "I don't think I can-" his sentence was stopped when Ladybug scratched his chin, and a purr tore from his mouth. A blush rose on his cheeks, embarrassed. Ladybug stood next to him, a smug grin on her face.

"I knew it," Ladybug said. "Works every time."

Black Cat recalled the times when he was a cat and Hayami petted him and made him purr. "Ha, are you a cat expert?"

"Maybe?" Ladybug swung herself to a building, Black Cat following suit. He looked at the single, constantly moving forward silhouette in front of him, and an idea popped in his mind.

An idea to spread some of his Christmas family spirit to his partner.

* * *

"Nii-san! Look!" Minori shoved a messily iced cookie in front of her brother's face. A wide innocent smile stretched from ear to ear. "Is it pretty?"

"Yeah," Chiba answered. "It's pretty." He carefully iced an intricate snowflake on a cookie, keeping a steady hand.

"Ooooh!" Fumiko poked her head out to look at Chiba's icing skills. "Onii-san is good at this!"

Chiba gave a small smile, and continued icing.

"Ah. There's simply too many cookies!" Shiho muttered, eyes sweeping over the huge plates of cookies.

"It's a pity that school ended, or else you guys can give them to your friends," Chiba's mom sighed. "I'll give some to our neighbours."

"Mom, I'll be meeting up with my friend soon. Can I give them some cookies?" Chiba asked.

His mother's eyes widened, "friend" being the only word she heard. Her son… meeting up with friends! In a state of overwhelm, she nearly let her icing bag slip out of her hands.

"Feel free! Take as many as you want!" she smiled, glad that her quiet son had friends.

"Thanks," Chiba began to ice with more focus, knowing that the cookies would end up in Ladybug's hands.

Thankfully, on Christmas Day, there were no akumas. It would surely be a downer to have an akuma on such a joyful day.

After she had transformed, Ladybug took the little plushie and swung herself out of the window. She wanted to meet with Black Cat as soon as possible. Clutching the plushie with one hand, she used her other hand to swing herself to the roof of the library, her standard meeting place with Black Cat.

He was already there, holding something behind his back. His cat ears perked up when he noticed Ladybug.

"Merry Christmas," he greeted her.

"Merry Christmas," she said in reply, holding her gift behind her back, mirroring Black Cat's pose. The two stood there in silence, fidgeting nervously.

"Uh, umm, for you!" Black Cat thrust out a box wrapped with a red ribbon. Ladybug's heart skipped a beat.

"Thank you," she said, surprised. She took his gift and gave him the plushie she made. "This- this is for you," she muttered, a blush on her cheeks. "I hope you like it."

 _Wow,_ Black Cat thought privately, carefully weighing the small plushie he held. _She put so much effort in making this!_ "It's cute. Thanks."

Ladybug could hear something rustle inside the box her partner gave her. "Hmm, is this something edible?"

"Yup. They're homemade cookies." Black Cat explained.

Ladybug stared at the box, a brilliant flush going up her face. _He… he took the time to bake that? For me? I don't deserve this! He's too nice._

But Ladybug didn't say that out loud as not to hurt his feelings. So she just gazed at the box, heart filled with a thousand emotions yet unable to express them.

Black Cat also looked at the plushie, admiring Ladybug's skill. He ran a finger over the cat ears.

Then Ladybug said, "Should we go back home to put them down, because…"

"It may interfere with our patrolling…" Black Cat continued.

"And the cookies might break, yeah…"

"Meet back here in five minutes?"

"Good."

The duo rapidly decided on what to do, and went their separate ways. Ladybug zoomed back to her house, carefully holding the box, a smile on her face.

Despite the cold, harsh wind blowing against her, warmth and gratitude flowed inside her, as she held Black Cat's present to her chest.

* * *

"These are beautiful," Hayami awed as she took the lid off the box after she had finished the patrol. It was two minutes past midnight, so technically, it was Boxing Day and she could open his gift.

There were snowflake patterns, a ladybug pattern, a paw print pattern, and even a cat iced on the cookies. Hayami took her phone out and took a picture of them.

"Cookies!" Tikki nearly screeched in delight, dancing circles around the box. "Rinka-chi, can I have one?"

"Of course. Take your pick," Hayami was amused by her kwami.

Tikki swooped down and picked up a cookie with a star iced on it. After gobbling it down whole, her eyes widened and she sighed blissfully. "Delicious!"

Hayami took a small bite of another cookie. "Tikki, you're right!"

"Marry him immediately," Tikki teased. "He makes fabulous cookies."

"Hey!" Hayami laughed it off, but a bubbly feeling rose up inside her, making her feel warm all over. She finished off her cookie and leapt face-down into her bed, burying her face in her blankets.

"He's too cute," Hayami muttered, green eyes narrowed but heat glowing from her cheeks. "He's too nice." The girl rolled over and grabbed the Black Cat plushie and cuddled it, peach hair splaying all over her blankets. Hayami then pulled the blankets over herself, and fell fast asleep, still clutching the plushie.

Meanwhile, Plagg was sizing up the plushie his chosen got from Ladybug. The cat kwami gave a scoff. "Kind of looks like me, don't you think?"

"Are you kidding?" Chiba snarked, poking the plushie's side. " _This_ is much cuter."

"So you finally grew a pair," Plagg commented. "You used to be so mild and quiet. Well, you still are around everyone else, you just like sassing me."

"That's because you really _grate_ on my nerves," Chiba muttered off-handedly.

"Ooh, is that a cheese pun?" Plagg gave an infuriating smirk, but didn't press on that matter. "Whatever. I'm going to sleep."

"Night," Chiba gave a yawn and climbed into his bed. He snuggled into his blankets and closed his eyes.

Plagg flew over to where the plushie stood, right next to Chiba's calendar. Plagg knew Chiba used his calendar a lot (it was full of scribbles and events), so he theorized that if he placed the plushie next to an important item, Chiba must think highly of Ladybug and her gift.

Plagg sighed. _Honestly, how can he still not realize Ladybug has a massive-ass crush on him…_

* * *

 **A/N: MERRY CHRISTMAS GUYS! WOOHOO!**

 **This was supposed to be a short chapter… ended up with almost 6k words…**

 **Anyways I realize I put a lot of Adrienette Christmas fics elements into this? Baking cookies? Sewing stuff? Someone being alone on Christmas? "She's just a good friend" meme?**

 **I swear if I dive into this Christmas chapter any longer soon we'll have Hayami staying over at Chiba's place and his family will dote on her like "ooh future daughter-in-law".**

 **And yeah they'll continue to be oblivious to each other's identities for quite some time.**

 _ **Fumiko Matsubara**_ **, I'm really glad that you like my fics! I appreciate it! Thanks for reviewing! :D And you got** _ **all**_ **of the usernames correct, congrats!**

 **(And I haven't updated Yandere Sniper in like 6 months whoops.)**

 **AND WE HIT 1000 VIEWS! Thanks to each and every one of you! Lol I remember writing the first chapter on holiday, thinking no one would read it… obviously, I was in a surprise. ≧ω≦ Thanks again!**

 **Please kindly review if you have time! Thanks for reading! :)**


	9. An Impromptu Midnight Meeting

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.**

* * *

"Ha! Your evildoing has come to an end!" a young girl cried, flinging a red toy yoyo around. "Time to devilize!"

"Ah! I'm defeated!" another older girl mock-groaned, stumbling back onto the sofa. The younger girl leapt in excitement, pigtails flying up and down. "Yay! Ladybug wins!"

"You mean, Ladybug _and_ Black Cat," the older girl corrected. "C'mon, he deserves the same recognition as Ladybug."

Chiba, who was doing homework on the dining table, was glad for his middle sister Fumiko's appreciation for his alter ego. His youngest sister Minori had taken a liking to Ladybug and basically idolized her after Ladybug had helped her find him that one time. After that, Chiba made getting his family away from dangerous akuma situations a priority.

Minori and Fumiko liked to do some role playing in the house, with Minori usually playing as Ladybug and Fumiko as an akuma. Fumiko often complained about this because she wanted to play as a superhero too. Unlike Minori, she wanted to play as Black Cat because she thought his suit was "cooler". And it was partly because Fumiko didn't want to get ear piercings.

But the two couldn't be superhero duo together, because their older siblings refused to pretend to be akumatized people. And they didn't want to bother their busy parents.

Chiba, however, was pretty happy when Fumiko said he was cool, even though she was talking about his superhero self.

Chiba checked his phone and found he had gotten a couple of messages, all from the group chat that included Okajima, Sugaya, Hayami, and him. They had decided to do their "important" (as said by their teacher) group project next day at the local library. It had taken them some time to decide on the time, date, and venue, because Okajima and Sugaya were one of those "I don't really care, I'll go with the flow" people, a stark contrast to Chiba and Hayami, who had a time for everything. He found it a bit amusing when Hayami took control of the whole group and demanded the others to send out their available time slots. At least he wasn't the only one who liked order.

So he was a bit annoyed when Okajima said he had a big family dinner tomorrow which he couldn't push off (for some reason, Chiba imagined Okajima's family to be full of bald people), so he couldn't do their project. To make things worse, Sugaya suddenly chimed in and said he had a fever and wasn't likely to recover by tomorrow.

Hayami replied quickly. On a side note, Chiba noted that Hayami's icon was a cute tabby kitten, its orange fur and bright green eyes matching Hayami's own hair and eyes.

Back to the main topic. Hayami said that it was okay and she and Chiba would do it. The artistic duo were still apologizing (they knew that Chiba could take up virtually any burden) when he intervened and said he and Hayami would meet up at the library anyway.

Suddenly, Chiba was quite conscious of the fact that he and Hayami would be spending a few hours together, without anyone else. His face heated up at the thought of it, but he knew he had to focus on work, and work only. They were schoolmates. They had to work efficiently no matter what. One little crush couldn't change that.

Meanwhile, Hayami was huddled up on her bed, thick fluffy blankets wrapped around her. She held a hot water bottle close to her stomach, trying to warm her chilly, frozen fingers. The past few days had been particularly harsh on her, with the weather and all that.

Hayami knew that both Sugaya and Okajima were unable to do the project, so she supposed she would just do it herself. Again. Oh wait, she forgot about Chiba. He would be present too.

She was thankful that she had met someone like Chiba. Someone who was like her, who took responsibilities and duties very seriously, and would probably never leave the entire project to someone else.

Hayami was sure that the boys' excuses were real and they were not intentionally dumping all the work on her and Chiba's shoulders. For what she'd seen, they seemed not to be the type to lie. Okajima might be extremely perverted (Hayami knew at least half of the girls had his name listed down as "pervert" or any other variation in their contacts), but he wasn't mean. Meanwhile, Sugaya was a pretty chill person. He needed some prodding from Chiba to actually stop drawing and do his work, but in Hayami's eyes, he was an okay guy.

Great, why was she even thinking about boys? Correction, they were her _workmates._ Hayami told herself that it was perfectly normal to think about her compatibility with her group mates. However, her partner Black Cat was a different matter, since she knew she liked him. Hayami believed that they got along with each other. After their awkward first meetings, they were able to communicate effectively.

To stop herself from thinking about him even more, Hayami got out of bed and started stretching on the cold floor. She and Tikki were afraid that the akumas might get stronger with time (Tikki seemed particularly concerned, which wasn't a shock because she told Hayami that this wasn't the first time the butterfly miraculous landed in bad hands), so Hayami made herself exercise and stretch daily, despite the cold. Hayami was pretty flexible from the years she had spent dancing, so she could do splits without considerable difficulty. She stretched her arms and pondered if she should tell Black Cat to train while in civilian form. It would be another thing to do on top of patrolling, fighting akumas, studying and doing chores.

"You're one of the most hardworking Ladybugs I've had the honour the look after," Tikki praised in wonder as she saw Hayami reading from a textbook as she was doing splits. The exams were looming up, and Hayami knew she had to work extra hard, because her grades had been slipping that year for various reasons. One, her superhero duties at night resulted in a loss of sleep, so she couldn't focus as well at school. Two, her classmates had been bugging her to do their work for them, so how could she refuse?

Chiba was also, curiously enough, facing the same problem. Maybe their similar personalities led to the same problems.

His classmates found out he was pretty good at math (although he could never be on par with the genius school delinquent, Akabane Karma), so they kept making him do their math homework. It wasn't just maths, though. They shoved so many requests in his face, Chiba barely had the time to focus on his own studies. And when he _did_ have time, he was already too tired, or had to patrol.

And because Chiba stayed in his room frequently, for studying and transforming into his alter ego, his family began to worry, especially his mother. Chiba had once caught his mother crying into his father's arms through a gap in a door. She had been sobbing, "I don't even know what he's thinking about! He doesn't talk!" Chiba immediately knew it was him, and the guilt pressed against his chest like a weight.

Chiba still tried his best to deal with his struggles. Maybe his classmates were less capable with their studies, so they sought help from him. Despite his scary appearance, Chiba was a good guy underneath, and was willing to assist people. Perhaps a bit _too_ willing.

Plagg was unhappy to see that his holder's classmates were basically exploiting him. Plagg tried to talk to Chiba about it, but Chiba said it wasn't like that.

Plagg was secretly pissed off every time someone asked Chiba to do a favour. He wanted to say _do it yourself, he's a part time superhero,_ but he had to keep his existence hidden. Anyways, Plagg knew he shouldn't be too attached to his holder (unlike Tikki). It was for his own good.

The next day, there was an akuma attack. Throughout the battle, the only thing that Ladybug and Black Cat could think of was that they were going to be late for that meeting at the library, so they tried to finish off the akuma as quickly as possible. They barely had time to do their customary fistbump before they fled into opposite directions.

Black Cat managed to go on for a few blocks before he had to detransform. He missed running and leaping on rooftops because it was much faster, but he couldn't complain. He knew he was already going to be late, and he hoped Hayami wouldn't mind too much. He dearly wanted to make a good impression.

Ladybug's transformation wore out earlier. Standing behind a tree as Hayami, the girl shivered, pulling her hood over her head. She surveyed the area and then she started to walk briskly, breath coming out in white puffs.

She dragged her frozen, stiff legs along. Stretching her limbs in winter had its benefits, but she was still pretty tired from fighting the akuma. Hayami checked her phone, and gritted her teeth. Three minutes before the designated time. She couldn't make it.

Hayami decided against texting Chiba. She was sure that would only waste time because of her fumbling fingers. She broke into a run, uncomfortably feeling her shoes slide on the icy street.

Miraculously (thank the Ladybug luck!) enough, Chiba managed to arrive on time. He went in the library and took a seat. Chiba checked his phone while he fed Plagg some Camembert. No messages.

And so he waited.

And waited.

When Hayami didn't show up, Chiba wondered if she had already arrived, and he couldn't see her. So he took a walk around the library, wondering if he had missed her.

But she was nowhere in sight.

Five minutes had already passed. Chiba began to feel distinctly anxious, but he told himself it was only because of his tiny schoolboy crush on her.

As the seconds ticked on, Chiba grew more jittery, frantic eyes sweeping across the library. He jumped every time he caught sight of a peach-coloured thing. "Relax," Plagg muttered, nonchalantly biting on a chunk of cheese.

Plagg was right, Chiba thought. He really was a bit oversensitive.

Another three minutes dragged by, and Chiba was so worried, he could barely sit still. Finally, he took his phone and walked out of the library doors into the cold winter air, planning to make a call.

* * *

Hayami didn't know how long she had been running. The bitter wind grazed against her skin and her eyes stung. She had gotten stuck in the masses which had gathered to watch the akuma fight, and then stupidly enough, took a wrong route.

Hayami briefly thought that if she couldn't find her way around, she wasn't suited to be Ladybug. She had to patrol the rooftops daily, after all.

She lost track of time and she hoped with all her might she wasn't _too_ late. Hayami was usually punctual and she didn't want to let her groupmate down.

With every breath she took, the freezing air sapped her energy from her. She could feel her legs moving slower as she became more exhausted.

Hayami pushed past people and to her relief, she saw the big building of the library. She remembered that it was her and Black Cat's meeting spot, but it was no time to reminisce, because Hayami felt her legs finally give way and slip down-

And bumped right into a black-haired boy.

* * *

 _Oh crap._

Hayami felt stupid thinking that the boy could somehow magically catch her, because he lost his balance too and the two fell down, limbs and scarfs jumbled up together, faces smothered by heavy layers of clothing.

A wave of déjà vu washed over Hayami as she recalled that she had (nearly) fallen down another time in a place near the library too, only with a different boy and she was using a different identity.

And then Hayami suddenly realized that she was pinning the boy under her by her own weight. Highly mortified, she rolled away with the quickness of a snake. "I'm sorry," the words tumbled out of her mouth.

"It's okay," he replied faintly, and Hayami was painfully aware that she had crashed into Chiba, her classmate. Her classmate that she was supposed to be working with.

Hayami reached out a hand and helped Chiba up. He rubbed the back of his head, wincing when he felt a lump.

"I'm really sorry," Hayami repeated sincerely. Firstly, she had been late, and secondly, she had fallen over him and thirdly, she hurt him. Accidentally, yes, but still. "I'm sorry that I bumped into you and was late too."

Shame filled Hayami, and she couldn't look at Chiba in the eye (his eyes were covered up anyway).

"You're cold," Chiba piped up in the middle of nowhere.

"Huh?"

"Your hand," he said simply, referring to when she held him up. _It's as cold as ice,_ he thought. "Let's go in."

"Okay," she followed Chiba inside and to their table, where the project supplies laid. Hayami casually took note of Chiba's opened pencil case. The stationery were arranged neatly and looked clean, which, Hayami thought, was somewhat rare for a boy.

The girl hadn't recovered from her long sprint to the library, so she was still huffing a bit. Chiba wasn't oblivious to that, and asked, "Was it the akuma attack?"

"In a way," Hayami replied.

They went to work briskly, two people doing work that was meant for four. Sugaya said he was doing some decorations at home.

"It's funny how he has the strength to do that but not the project," Hayami noted with an icy tone.

Chiba knew what she was implying, but remained silent as he cut out a few pictures.

If Chiba felt nervous about working alone with Hayami, he didn't show it. He buried his emotions in his work. However, occasionally, he did look up at Hayami, to see how she was doing.

One of the pros of having hair covering your eyes is that no one can see what you're looking at, so he hoped he didn't seem creepy. He could see her slightly wavy hair framing her tired face, emerald eyes focusing intently on her work. When her eyes moved, Chiba's own eyes darted away and frantically attempted to refocus on his work.

Surprisingly enough, Hayami struck up a conversation. More like, she _tried_ to.

"The others have barely contributed to this project," she said.

"They have other things to do," Chiba replied shortly.

Hayami's lips twisted into a small frown. "You say it like it's not the first time it happened."

There was silence, the only sound being Chiba's pen scratching on paper.

"Maybe they're taking advantage of you," Hayami continued to prod.

Chiba felt a flash of anger inside him. He felt uncomfortable, like someone had peeled a layer off him, as if he was an onion.

 _You have no right to do that!_

"As if you're any different," he shot back with unusual harshness.

She bit her lip and bent her head, choosing to work in silence. His words had also struck home. It was uncanny how similar they were.

To avoid any conflicts, for the rest of the day, they only spoke when it was necessary. Locking themselves into their "work" mode, they didn't talk, drink, or eat.

At a furious pace, the two churned out reports, analyzations and shorts essays. Fueled by motivation and determination, the duo went on and on and on without stopping to rest.

As a result, they finished the project much earlier than they would've expected. Together, they stared at the result of their hard work with satisfaction.

 _It's rather refreshing to work with someone who is hardworking,_ Hayami thought. "Good work," she said.

Chiba nodded as he stood up and surveyed the work, and then sat down. "Nice. I'll bring it to Sugaya's for some final touch ups."

"Okay," Hayami agreed and began packing up. They had been working for the entire afternoon and she could see the darkening sky outside.

After they exited the library, they gave a short "bye" and walked in opposite directions awkwardly.

Even though they could work seamlessly together, apparently, their social skills needed a bit of work.

* * *

Exams.

Chiba tried to drill all the information in his mind, but none of the words made sense to him. He blinked and the pages of his textbook seemed to spin before his eyes.

"Having trouble?" Plagg asked, and somehow his question rubbed Chiba the wrong way. It was obvious that he was having trouble, and Plagg knew he didn't like to admit that.

"I don't understand this," Chiba gritted his teeth, blankly staring at his biology notes.

"You should've asked the teacher in class. Now it's too late," Plagg said airily, tossing a piece of cheese and catching it in his mouth. "That's what teachers are for."

With a jolt, Chiba realized his kwami was right. He never asked any questions even if he didn't understand a concept. He was too shy and too afraid. Maybe he thought that he could be fine on his own.

" _That's what teachers are for."_

… And Chiba never utilized that.

"You wanna ask your classmates?" Plagg suggested.

Chiba vaguely regarded Okajima as being good at biology, but he didn't want to bother him, especially during the crucial exam weeks.

"I'll be fine on my own," he muttered.

"Liar," Plagg said bluntly, although his words were muffled by the cheese.

Exams weren't the only thing he was worried about. Kochou had sensed that the superheroes were students, and were busy because of studying, so the akumas seemed to be stronger and more vicious. He and Ladybug were both exhausted with their battles against the akumas and their battle for good grades.

Before he jumped out his window for nightly patrol, Black Cat mumbled biology terms to himself, forcing them into his memory. He continued to go through his study materials even when he reached the library.

"Exams?" a familiar voice asked. Black Cat spun to see Ladybug, also on the roof. There were dark circles under her eyes and he could feel that she was tired.

"Yup," he nodded. "You too?"

"Yeah," she replied.

It was a bit funny about how the superhero duo knew they were both Japanese middle-school students, despite not knowing the other's true identity. Ladybug had heard from Nakamura that some people speculated them as immortal gods who chose to appear as teenagers. Hayami had laughed along with Nakamura back then. Now, they, along with everyone else, were studying with all their might.

"Is that biology?" Ladybug asked curiously, knowing that she had been studying the same thing, down to the same concepts and terms.

"Mmm," he gave a half-hearted affirmative answer.

 _So it's likely that we're in the same year…_ Ladybug thought to herself. She scrutinized her partner as they leapt across the rooftops.

Maybe if she was as outgoing and friendly as Nakamura, she would've known him in civilian form. Perhaps he was in a neighbouring school. Or maybe they had passed each other on the street.

She blinked and noted that his cat ears were drooping, an indicator of his mood. Like virtually every student, he was naturally stressed during the exams. His lips were also moving as he continued to study, even when patrolling. _He must be on a terrible time crunch._

Ladybug felt bad for him, almost forgetting that she was facing the exact same situation.

"Hey," she said softly, after they had patrolled for ten minutes. "I can do patrol for the two of us. You can study."

His cat-like eyes seemed to be brighter during the night as they fixated on Ladybug. "What?" he said with a tone of disbelief. "You-you can't do that. We're a team!"

"I know but you… you look like you need some time," Ladybug answered honestly. "The recent akumas have all happened during daytime. I can manage nighttime patrol."

"What about you? You have your exams, too."

"I'll be fine! Look at you; you're mumbling about scientific terms even out here," Ladybug gave him a stubborn glare. "It won't do you any good."

That offer was tempting, and Black Cat weighted the options in his head. It was true that there weren't any nighttime akumas lately, and he could use that extra time. But it didn't feel right to leave Ladybug alone.

But she was looking at him so seriously with such concern, it made him rethink his decision.

"Alright," he answered finally. "You sure that you're up to it?"

(In fact, he knew she was capable, he was just worried.)

"Yes," Ladybug nodded so surely that he felt nothing dangerous would happen to her.

"Okay. Watch out."

* * *

"You have to be careful," Tikki reminded her holder again. "Crime rates go up during the night, and if Kochou knows you're the only one patrolling, he'll definitely target you."

Before Hayami could say a word, Tikki continued with some sort of feverish worry, "Besides, you have your exams! Your grades haven't been exactly good so far so you'll need to ace your exams, or else you might get dropped down to that infamous 3-E everyone's talking about!"

"I know but… I just want to help him," Hayami muttered, looking at the Black Cat plushie perched on top of her pile of plushies. "And it's been alright for the past two days."

"You've already lost some of your studying time fighting the akuma today," Tikki nagged, but then sighed. "Oh well, I can't stop you now. Time for patrol!"

Ladybug ran nimbly across the rooftops, eyes sweeping left and right for any suspicious activity. The patrol seemed to take longer than usual, without her partner by her side.

A dull pain began to throb inside her head. A headache, probably caused by her lack of sleep. The girl closed her eyes, hoping that would draw the pain away. It didn't.

A wailing siren made her snap her eyes open. Peering down from her perch on the roof, Ladybug saw policemen swarming a building, while an officer barked orders at them. With a jolt, Ladybug realized the building was a bank. A robbery must had happened.

She was instantly alert, muscles stiffening. Ladybug moved slowly around the bank, making sure to stay hidden. She was prepared to attack if anything happened, the grip on her yoyo tightening.

Ladybug, despite not having Black Cat's night vision (which could come handy at the moment) had good eyesight too. She had been in the dark long enough, so her eyes were used to seeing with minimal light. She was also standing above the others, and that gave her a huge advantage.

And that was when she saw them. Three black figures scurrying from the circle of policemen that surrounded the bank. Ladybug saw that one of them looked back but quickly turned away, as if they were afraid.

Jumping into motion, Ladybug weaved through the rooftops and silently followed the suspicious trio. The girl pulled out her yoyo and used the map function to check her location. Then she held up her yoyo, body into a throwing stance, preparing to knock them out.

"Don't move!" a powerful command from behind startled all of them, and Ladybug nearly let her yoyo slip from her hand. The suspected thieves broke into a run, but more policemen blocked their path.

What happened next was lightning quick. Ladybug barely had time to register what was happening, but then she heard a policeman holler, "Two of them escaped! In that direction!"

Without pausing to think, Ladybug zipped after the two, throwing her yoyo at them, hoping to trip them. One of them whipped back and they seemed to be holding something. To her horror, Ladybug heard the loud bang of a gunshot, and she clamped down her lip to suppress a scream. She froze in shock and despite the ringing in her eardrums, she managed to disarm the person of their gun, using her yoyo to fling it far away.

They tore though the town, ducking behind buildings, checking streets, as if playing one gigantic game of hide and seek. Ladybug felt her headache worsen and she knew she was running out of energy. It was now or never.

"Lucky Charm!" she cried, and a red lasso fell back into her arms. Acting reflexively, Ladybug hurled it towards one of the robbers, and the lasso went around their body, effectively trapping them. Ladybug was pleased that she had been given a lasso, which felt similar to working with a yoyo.

A beep from her earrings indicated that she didn't have much time left. Ladybug was worried that if she lost track of the number of beeps, she wouldn't know when exactly she would detransform, unless she asked someone. _Another reason to patrol with Black Cat,_ Ladybug thought to herself, heart sinking.

Ladybug chased after the other robber into a dead end. She had left the lasso with the other caught robber, but she could fight with her yoyo. Eyes flashing, she hurled the yoyo at them, but they were pretty agile and dodged the attack. The girl gritted her teeth and in a series of quick movements, the yoyo bounced off the walls of the street, knocking the man to the ground (she could see that he was a man). Ladybug let her yoyo retreat back into her hand, quickly scheming another attack.

The man gave a sharp laugh and Ladybug caught sight of something whizzing towards her. Instinctually, she stepped to the side, but that was when she heard the dull thud of something hitting its target. Ladybug spun so quickly that she might had broken her neck, and blanched at the sight and the sensation.

A knife had grazed her left shoulder and it had pierced through her suit and her skin. Thankfully, the wound didn't seem to be deep. Warm blood seeped out of the wound slowly, trickling down her arm. The pain was burning and searing, and Ladybug forced herself to take deep breaths.

Another beep made its way into her ear. Ladybug could barely focus due to the agonizing pain. Was it the second beep, or the third one?

The girl was at a lost. She and Black Cat had never dealt with a bleeding wound before, and she had never taken first aid classes. Now she wished she had.

Ladybug hated being so helpless. Additionally, she was also hurt and needed someone to heal her, which would just add on to someone's burden.

"We got him!" someone yelled, and through her dazing pain, Ladybug realized that the last robber had been caught. "Thanks for your assistance, Ladybug."

It took her two seconds to realize the words were directed at her. "Ah, no problem," she gave a forced smile, clenching her right fist tightly.

"You're down to two dots," the officer informed her. It was likely they didn't notice her wound in the dim light. Ladybug didn't know whether to be relieved or worried about that.

"Okay, I'll take my leave. Goodnight." Ladybug somehow managed to swing herself up to a building, a strangled cry escaping her lips as the wound was exposed to the wind.

Panic began to set in, as Ladybug clamped a hand over her shoulder, attempting to stop the bleeding. It probably wasn't the proper procedure because of the possibility of infection, but she didn't know what to do.

 _Maybe I'll go back to the police?_ Ladybug thought, regretting her quick getaway. _Or the hospital?_

Another worrying thought hit her like a ton of bricks. She was about to detransform. And she was alone and hurt, so she was especially vulnerable. If Kochou chose to release an akuma attack that moment, Ladybug would be screwed.

 _Ah, right. My Lucky Charm._ She had forgotten it. Maybe she could use Miraculous Ladybug and heal herself. Ladybug lifted her bloodstained hand from her wound and slowly, painfully swung herself towards the crime scene, where she'd last seen her lasso.

Another beep. One minute left. Ladybug entertained the possibility of Black Cat suddenly appearing. In her pain, she had never bothered to look at her surroundings, and unbeknownst to her, she was drifting further and further away from her supposed destination.

Ladybug had never felt so foolish. God, why did she have to be so independent? Why did she offer to do everything herself? Why did she unreasonably refused help? And now there she was, on the roof of someone's house; exhausted, hurt, lost and worst of all, alone.

She wearily sat down on the edge of the roof and stopped to check her location. There were blood smears over the screen that popped out of her yoyo, and Ladybug squinted at it. Wow, she still had to go on for two blocks before she could reach the bank. The hospital was completely out of the question, being a twenty minute walk away.

Just as she was about to lose all hope, a voice sounded from down below, "Ladybug?"

* * *

Yes, Chiba knew he didn't have to patrol that night.

No, that did not mean he would go to bed before midnight.

He had forced himself to do an entire book of comprehension questions, despite his drooping eyelids. He shook his head in an effort to keep himself awake.

All was quiet for a while. The house was dark except for the lone light in Chiba's room. His kwami was asleep, nestled in his blanket. The sound of a car outside on the streets. The wind blowing against his window. Chiba hadn't bothered to draw the curtains shut.

His phone suddenly vibrated and simultaneously, he heard a distant siren of a police car. Chiba resisted the urge to check his phone and continued studying.

After ten minutes, Chiba's eyes began to hurt from working too much. He let out a small sigh and reclined on his chair. He decided to call it a day. Or night. Or whatever.

He reached out an arm for his phone, sleepy eyes roaming across the latest news article. Apparently there had been a foiled bank robbery that night. All three thieves were held and captured. Ladybug had helped with chasing the robbers. Wait… _Ladybug!_

Chiba's eyes shot open, and he read the article more attentively. He _knew_ she would try to stop the robbery at all costs, and that was why he was worried about her. Ladybug was independent and determined. She would likely hurt herself if she continued.

Something odd caught his attention. A dark droplet on the outside windowsill. A red droplet.

A droplet of _blood_ that definitely wasn't there before.

Gently, he put his phone down, and listened, sharp eyes darting around the room, which had felt so safe three seconds ago.

Yes, if he listened intently, he could faintly hear laboured breathing from outside. Something was there. Someone. Perhaps on the roof.

Instantly, scenes from horror movies flashed into his mind. But somehow, Chiba wasn't afraid. Just alert.

He peered up and to his shock, a figure was perched there. They didn't seem to have noticed Chiba. He opened his window slowly and waited for his eyes to get used to the dark. And then he blinked.

That was Ladybug out there! There she was, with her trademark polka dot suit and pigtails, her tired face lit by the glow from her yoyo, those bleary green eyes! To his alarm, he could see something dripping from her left arm. A red liquid that could barely be noticeable due to her suit being the same colour. _Blood._

Guilt punched him in the gut, and Chiba felt a sudden, raging hatred for himself. He should have been out there. He should have been with Ladybug as they fought _together_ against the robbers.

Now she had gotten hurt. It was all his fault. How could he be so selfish! How could he leave her alone?

He looked up at Ladybug, a new determination in his eyes.

The least he could do was to help her in civilian form.

So he called up to her, "Ladybug?"

 _Black Cat?_ Ladybug thought automatically, but that thought dissipated when she saw the boy who had said her name.

"Huh?" Ladybug looked surprised, eyes flying to where he was. Chiba could see a flash of recognition in her face, but it quickly disappeared.

 _Chiba?!_ Ladybug screamed in her mind. Of all people! Good grief! How could she face him at school ever again?

 _She probably remembers saving me during her first akuma fight_ , Chiba thought, recalling that memory. He felt very awkward standing there. "Uh, umm, hi, do you need some help?"

Ladybug almost said "no" (it had became a habit for her) but then she looked over at her bleeding shoulder. She _did_ need help, but was that too much to ask of a teenager during the night?

"I know about first aid," Chiba offered. "You can come in."

 _And I need to transform again,_ Ladybug thought. Well, it wasn't like she had a choice.

"Ah. Sorry for interrupting," Ladybug said formally as she swung herself through the open window. She didn't want to imagine what it would look like if the media caught her: Ladybug sneaking into a teenage boy's room at night! A secret rendezvous?

Chiba was instantly grateful that Fumiko had insisted on teaching the entire family about first aid after she participated in a course at school. He might not have appreciated it then, but he sure did now.

The room felt way more crowded with her present. Chiba became aware that Ladybug was the first person that wasn't family to enter his room.

"I'm going to detransform," Ladybug whispered, and he could see the apprehension in her eyes. Something she rarely showed to the average civilian. _She must be really stressed,_ Chiba thought.

"I won't look," he assured her. As if on cue, a flash of red light covered the girl. Chiba whisked his head away as if he was stung.

 _I can trust him,_ Hayami told herself. After all, when she'd saved him during the first akuma attack, he didn't tell anyone much about her. That was because he respected her. And now, he respected her wish to keep her identity private.

"I'm sorry for bothering you," Hayami muttered, feeling even shyer by the second without her mask to shield her. She wanted to bury herself in something in embarrassment- but the closest thing was his bed and that was just plain weird.

Chiba gave a noncommittal shrug. "I'm getting the first aid kit." And then he hesitated. "Do you need anything?"

"No, thank you." Hayami shivered slightly at the cold wind that was blowing through the open window. She could hear Tikki munching quickly on a cookie.

That was when Plagg woke up. He gave a yawn, but thankfully that wasn't audible. Plagg peeked out of the blankets, and to his utmost shock, he saw a trembling Hayami standing in Chiba's room, observing the area with wide eyes.

Unhelpfully enough, Plagg's first thought was _HE INVITED HIS CRUSH INTO HIS BEDROOM AT NIGHT?_ but then his common sense came back to him and he corrected himself _eh, Ladybug got hurt and she's seeking help from him._ How exactly that happened, Plagg had no idea. He dearly hoped he hadn't missed the grand reveal. He and Tikki had placed bets on that.

Plagg could hear footsteps from outside. "Umm, are you done?" he heard his holder ask cautiously.

The cat kwami almost snorted, and buried himself in the blankets again. _Wow. Asking for permission to enter your own room._

"Just a moment," Hayami replied, a bit of a frantic tone in her voice. There was some hushed murmuring ( _Tikki and her holder,_ Plagg thought) and then he heard, "It's okay now."

Plagg was afraid that they would notice him due to his glowing cat eyes, but he didn't want to miss a single moment. He settled with spying at them through a tiny gap.

Chiba entered his room, a box in his hand. Ladybug was standing there, looking at the little slit on her suit, where blood was still seeping out. And then he lead her to the bathroom where she gently cleaned the wound.

Plagg groaned internally, and then sneakily followed the duo, hiding in the shadows. The price he had to pay to see a moment between those two!

"First, you have to sit down," Chiba instructed, feeling very weird that he was giving orders to a superheroine. Granted, he was a superhero himself, but he wasn't Black Cat at that moment. He was just his introverted, socially awkward self.

Ladybug swept her eyes across the room and then sat on the toilet.

Chiba approached her and inspected the wound. It didn't seem to be deep, and it wasn't bleeding profusely. He guessed that Ladybug had gotten hurt a while ago and didn't bandage it (or was unable to) so that explained the blood.

"It's not as serious as it looks," he said. He took out some gauze pads and began to apply pressure on the wound.

Ladybug was feeling worse by the second, despite her physical conditions improving. She hadn't thought of being so hurt that she had to seek help from a civilian… and of course it had to be her friend(?). He had exams tomorrow! What if he didn't get enough sleep because of her?

Chiba was filled with shame as he quietly helped Ladybug. After all, there was a reason why the ladybug miraculous and the cat miraculous were in use at the same time. They had to balance each other, with the powers of creation and destruction. They were an inseparable team. They couldn't win their fights without the other.

He was _never_ going to let Ladybug patrol on her own ever again, unless it was absolutely necessary.

The two were both trapped in a bubble of their own guilt, and refused to look at each other.

When the bleeding stopped, Chiba began to bandage the wound with a careful hand, preoccupying himself with work, like he always did when he felt too emotional.

Ladybug peered at it, suddenly feeling small. She bit her lip and watched her wound being wrapped up.

"It's all set," Chiba said finally, and was rather pleased. It looked okay to him, but he wasn't an expert, so his opinion wasn't all that reliable.

"Thank you," Ladybug looked at him and said sincerely, heart brimming with gratefulness. "I'll go now."

"Ah. Okay." Chiba packed the first aid kit and Ladybug touched her bandaged shoulder gingerly. With a tilt of their heads, their eyes met. Well, technically, Ladybug wouldn't know about that, because she couldn't see Chiba's eyes. But still she had the feeling that they were making eye contact, so she gave a small, but genuine smile.

And for one second, Chiba wasn't his lame self, he was Black Cat, grinning at Ladybug after a finished patrol. Then that vision vanished and he found himself nodding to show that he had gotten the message.

Once Ladybug leapt out of the window, Plagg immediately flew out from his hiding place and virtually yelled in Chiba's face, "What was that? Do you know what it sounds like, inviting a teenage girl into your room at night? Kid, I need answers!"

Chiba's face coloured at Plagg's suggestive wording. "S-she was hurt. I wanted to help her, because I couldn't do that as Black Cat," he defended himself.

"Okay." Plagg obviously needed more information than _that._

"Well, I think she hurt herself when she was out patrolling on her own," Chiba explained. "I felt really bad. Now, I'm going to patrol with her no matter what."

"Ooh, appointing yourself as her protector." Again, Plagg only talked about stuff like that. Chiba could never get why Plagg liked to tease him about both Ladybug and Hayami. Seriously, he just had two female friends, and Plagg thought of them as his girlfriends.

But, Plagg wasn't as shallow as he seemed. He was concerned, because in the history of the duos of ladybug and cat miraculous holders, there had to be one that was more self-sacrificing. That was usually the cat, being madly in love with the ladybug. Sometimes, they even died to save their love's life. But this time, it was Ladybug who liked Black Cat. The entire scenario was flipped over.

"Wait," Chiba said suddenly. "Did you see Ladybug's civilian identity?"

Plagg blinked idly. "Perhaps?" he drawled, giving an ambiguous answer.

Plagg knew Chiba respected Ladybug and wouldn't try to find out her identity until she was ready. So he was sure Chiba wouldn't attempt to bribe him with cheese (no joke, one of Plagg's previous holders actually did that). Besides, Tikki would probably kill him if he told Chiba. Tikki could be pretty threatening at times (Plagg learned that the hard way).

 _This time, it's the ladybug who's willing to serve the kitty, not the other way round,_ Plagg remarked, and a bitter feeling rose in his chest. _Will that change anything?_

* * *

"Rinka-chi!" Tikki growled aggressively at her holder, the first thing she did after she was released from Ladybug's transformation. "I told you!"

"I know-" Hayami began feebly.

"Don't 'I know' me!" Tikki placed her tiny hands on her hips, eyes narrowed. "You have to actually listen and do as I say!" And then her facial expression softened. "I suppose you're even more tired than usual (who's fault was that, huh?), so I'll talk to you another day."

Hayami fiddled with the bandage on her shoulder, making sure it was still in place. She was fortunate that it wasn't her dominant hand that had been hurt, because that would pose a problem at the exams during the next day.

However, Tikki was right. Rest was a priority at the moment. Hayami lowered herself in her bed, deliberately lying on her right side as not to irritate her wound. She closed her eyes, but a thought kept her awake.

"I'll see Chiba tomorrow," she said out loud.

"Yes, you will." Tikki replied sleepily. "Now hush and go to bed, or do you want me to sing a lullaby?"

"It's going to be awkward," Hayami mumbled. "He probably lost sleep over helping me," she added.

"Now you're losing sleep over thinking about that," Tikki pointed out.

Hayami could see the logic in Tikki's words, so she obediently shut her eyes and willed herself to sleep, drowning in strange dreams of a no-eyed boy glaring at her while blood poured out of a wound on her chest, red filling her vision.

* * *

Bonus:

"Hey, Ryuunosuke," Shiho, Chiba's eldest sibling, said, giving her brother a curious look.

"Yeah?" Chiba asked, slightly confused.

"I don't want to sound inquisitive, but… I heard a girl's voice in your room last night," Shiho muttered, lowering her voice, but she clearly wanted an answer from Chiba. "My dear brother, what was that?"

 _Crap,_ Chiba thought, blood freezing and his entire body stiffened. He did not dare to look at his (scary) sister in the eye.

"Huh…" an uncharacteristic smirk rose on Shiho's lips. "Are you meeting with someone, perhaps? A girl around your age? At night?"

 _EVERYONE GETS THE WRONG IDEA,_ Chiba yelled in his mind, but outwardly he mumbled, "You read too many books, nee-chan."

"Oh, right," Shiho did not look convinced. She raised her voice. "Well, if you eventually get a girlfriend, I want to meet her, okay? Won't it be nice if my shy brother finds someone?"

"Onee-chan!" Chiba hissed. His sister was usually so serious, so why did she suddenly start to tease him?

Shiho gave a light chuckle. "Ryuu, I was just kidding. You're so stressed nowadays, so I thought I might play with you for a bit."

"Umm, okay…"

Before Chiba could actually calm down, Shiho leaned down (she was unnaturally tall for a girl) and whispered in his ear, "I actually did hear something last night, but I know you're a sensible kid, so I'll keep it a secret and pretend that never happened. But, if you want to talk to me about anything, I'm always here."

For a moment, Chiba nearly impulsively spilled his greatest secret, the fact that he was Black Cat, to his sister. But he resisted, knowing that he would just endanger his family.

He looked up at Shiho, and replied, "Okay, onee-chan."

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you for the reviews!** _ **Fumiko Matsubara,**_ **haha you're so nice! I'm so happy that you like this story!**

 **And** _ **DreamDuelist,**_ **yes! There will be a Valentine's Day chapter. In fact, it's going to be the next one. I originally planned this update to be a Valentine's Day special, since it coincides with the date in real life, but unfortunately, I still had this chapter to write.**

 **I think in the canon storyline, exams happen in December, but I screwed up on this, so let's pretend that it happened in January *awkward laugh*. And this time, I genuinely got frustrated writing about Ladybug refusing all help. Oh, well. That's Hayami all right.**

 **Also, do you want to see a character being akumatized? Preferably a 3-E student. Just pop by my inbox or write a review!**

 **Thanks for reading and please review! I want to see what you think! :)**


	10. From the Heart (Valentine's Day special)

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.**

* * *

"Rinka-chan~" Nakamura gave an evil grin as she wrapped an arm around Hayami's shoulder. "Valentine's Day is coming! Are you giving chocolates to someone?"

"Of course not…" Hayami trailed off when she realized that she could give chocolates to Black Cat. After all, they'd been friends long enough, and she _did_ like him…

"Eh?" Nakamura tilted her head, blonde hair swishing. "Why the hesitation?" She poked Hayami's cheek teasingly. "Huh, do you like someone?"

"No," Hayami gave a stoic and short reply, hoping that was enough to ward her friend off. Wanting to change the topic, she asked, "How about you?"

"Me?" Nakamura looked shocked that she was asked that question, but Hayami knew it was likely just her over-dramatic facade. "No. All the boys here are too boring for my taste."

The male students surrounding them gave Nakamura a glare, but they didn't dare to aggravate her further, because Nakamura was infamous for her extreme teasing.

Okajima, who was next to the girls, gave an exaggerated sigh. "Ahh, I wish I can receive chocolates too…" he said loudly, while giving Hayami and Nakamura an obvious look.

The girls shared a glance, and they both knew what Okajima was implying. Nakamura gave a snort. _Honestly, can he be more subtle?_

"How about giri chocolates?" Nakamura asked, a mischievous look in her baby blue eyes. "I've noticed that you've been spending time with some boys."

Hayami sweatdropped, and could almost feel Sugaya, Chiba and Okajima staring at her. _Yes, but only for group projects…_

"No, I'm not giving out anything," Hayami replied decisively, making sure that Okajima and Co. could hear her. "Don't get the wrong idea."

Behind them, Okajima snickered loudly, but then he quickly subdued himself.

"Wow, what a tsundere!" Nakamura laughed and clapped Hayami on the back. "Haha, cute little tsundere Rinka-chan."

"Don't call me that," Hayami muttered. Inwardly, the gears in her brain began to turn. She knew she should give chocolates to Black Cat, but what kind of chocolate should she get? Giri, or dare she, honmei? Hayami hadn't given chocolate to anyone at Valentine's Day before.

Meanwhile, Okajima was laughing to himself, "Ha, Hayami is a natural tsundere…"

"I want chocolates too…" Sugaya muttered. "I guess this is what happens to the unpopular boys like us. No chocolates. In all fourteen years of my life."

"By the way, Sugaya," Chiba, who had not uttered a word about Valentine's Day or chocolates, cut in, "You haven't been posting art as of late."

Sugaya blinked his tired grey eyes. "Yeah, I didn't do well in the last exam so my parents confiscated all of my electronic devices," he answered flatly.

Okajima looked horrified and surprised. "That's harsh."

"I guess it's fair," the artist mumbled as he twirled a pencil between his fingers. "After all, I'd been focusing more on art than on my studies."

"Is it because you have patrons now?" Chiba asked.

"What?" Okajima asked, as if this was the first time he'd heard of the word. Sugaya sighed internally; Okajima never listened to what he said. He only made the occasional perverse comment about a girl's chest.

"Basically I earn money through drawing," Sugaya didn't want to explain thoroughly because of Okajima's short attention span.

"Wow! You must be rich!" Okajima gasped in amazement and envy.

"Ha," Sugaya chortled. "If only it was like that. But now I can only do traditional art." He turned to Chiba. "I might have to borrow your phone to upload them."

"Ah, sure. No problem," Chiba agreed readily.

Okajima opened his mouth, but before he could speak Sugaya cut in, "And yes, Okajima, before you ask, I won't borrow your phone because it's full of weird pics."

* * *

After his club activities, Chiba stayed behind as usual to clean up. He might not seem like the type, but he loved his club, the Light Music Club. The boy had a passion for Japanese light music (to his older sister's complete horror) and when he had club activities, he felt a lot more comfortable than he usually did at school.

Once everyone was out of sight, Plagg zoomed out, scowling. Chiba ignored his kwami and continued to sweep the floor diligently. He raised a hand to move his bangs back into place.

"Kid," Plagg blared, "I've known you for almost a year and first, you still look emo; second, you've been cleaning the club room _alone_ every time. Stop being so damn responsible and let the others do their work!"

When he didn't get a reply, Plagg gave an internal sigh; boy, his holder bent so easily to other people but he was damn stubborn when he was next to his kwami. Knowing Chiba wouldn't change that easily, the cat kwami started a new topic, "So, uh, in this country the girls give the boys chocolates on Valentine's Day?"

"That is correct," Chiba replied as he moved around the room, Plagg hovering beside him.

"Huh, do you think you'll receive any?" Plagg drawled, then muttered to himself, "If only girls give out cheese."

"Maybe… an obligation chocolate from Ladybug…" Chiba mused. "I don't really expect to get any, except maybe from my sisters and my partner."

Plagg rolled his eyes. "How about those lady fans of yours?"

"They don't even know me," Chiba mumbled. "Ladybug doesn't know my identity, but at least we've spent time together."

"Hey," a thought came to Plagg, and he poked Chiba's head. "Have you ever received chocolates from a girl at Valentine's?"

"No." Like most of his words, his reply was short and direct. "I'm not bothered by it though; everyone thinks I'm creepy because of my appearance."

"Well," Plagg surveyed Chiba, flitting around his holder idly. "I guess your bangs do make you look weird."

Chiba self-consciously put a hand to his hair. "But I can't let my eyes show," he said. "So matter what I do, they still think the same of me. That I'm not normal."

Footsteps sounded outside in the corridor, and Plagg immediately ducked behind Chiba. The boy looked up briefly to see Hayami pass by, holding a broom in her hands. She didn't appear to have noticed him.

"So she's on cleaning duty too," Chiba murmured softly. He wondered which club she had joined. Was she also a music person? Or perhaps she played tennis? Would their hobbies match?

"Oh, just ask her out already, you lovesick ninny," Plagg snarled, knowing full well Chiba wouldn't do that. But still, it was fun to laugh at his expense.

The teenager lowered his head and continued to sweep. He hadn't thought about Hayami for quite a while, because of exams and other duties, but now that he had free time, and with Valentine's Day looming up, his feelings for her returned full-force. A part of Chiba wished he could give up on his little crush, because he was afraid it would interfere with his studies and he spent way too much time focusing on Hayami. Not to mention, it wasn't like he had a real chance with her. But another part of him kind of liked that, because he felt happy every time he saw her (which was virtually every school day).

Anyways, Chiba was pretty satisfied with them being classmates and friends (sort of) at the moment. As for Ladybug, they were each other's best friends, even if she was a bit too affectionate at times (he still didn't know why she petted his head).

But, even though what he felt for Ladybug was completely platonic, he would still be delighted to receive her chocolates.

* * *

"What club is that?" Tikki hissed to Hayami as they passed by a club room filled with instruments, where a lone boy was cleaning up. "The instruments look different from the ones I usually see."

"I believe that's the Light Music Club," Hayami answered, hoping that the boy (whoever he was) hadn't seen her kwami. "I heard from Nakamura that there's this crazy club member with creepy eyes who completely loses himself in the music. Anyways, to answer your question, I think those are electric guitars, and they're different from usual guitars."

"I see," Tikki replied, and immediately ducked into Hayami's bag. The girl looked around and saw that a few students were walking past her.

After Hayami had cleaned up her club's room (on her own), she returned home, intending to do some housework.

As she wiped the windows, Tikki fluttered around her, cheerfully asking, "So, what kind of chocolates for Black Cat? Obligatory ones or ones from the heart?"

Hayami would be lying if she said she hadn't thought about it. In fact, it had been the only thing on her mind when she had been going home. But now, after some careful thinking, she had made up her mind.

"I'm going to give him giri chocolates," she said decisively, and nodded. "I'm not mature enough for an actual relationship, and it can interfere with our work. Besides, I don't want to wreck our partnership and friendship."

"Sensible choice, Rinka-chi," Tikki smiled to show her approval. This kind of thinking was rather unexciting for a fourteen-year-old, but Tikki was glad her holder was the way she was. Her responsible, serious Ladybug.

"But you still have to buy them," Tikki said. "I think you have to put in some effort in choosing the right chocolate."

"Too bad I've had no experience," Hayami muttered. She suddenly the found the notion of herself shopping for chocolate rather absurd and embarrassing.

"You have to choose from the bottom of your heart," Tikki advised the girl. "Ask yourself what kind of chocolate would best express your feelings."

"... Then that's just plain honmei," Hayami muttered. "I'm not aiming for that."

But even though she said that, after Hayami had finished wiping the glass panes, she obediently changed into outdoor clothes and went out to buy chocolates.

There were still lumps of dirty snow on the sidewalk, and Hayami was glad that March would arrive soon. Hopefully, the warm spring breeze would take all of the wintry coldness away.

Hayami was especially thankful for Japan's heating system, which she used to find a little suffocating. Now, when she entered the convenience store, a blast of warm air hit her full-force, soothing her previously freezing skin.

The girl made her way to the food aisle and found a shelf filled with chocolates. She goggled at the variety of choices. Hayami crossed her arms, and began to inspect the chocolates closely.

At that moment, Chiba entered the same convenience store, seeking to buy some drinks for his family. He saw Hayami, and wondered if he should go over and say hello, but then he realized Hayami was very focused on something. His hidden eyes caught sight of the pink and red packages.

 _She's looking at the Valentine chocolates._

Inexplicably, Chiba felt his face go hot and he hurried into the next aisle. Hayami… buying Valentine chocolates? But didn't she say she wouldn't be giving out chocolates, when Nakamura had asked her?

 _Or… maybe she secretly likes somebody, and she doesn't want anyone to know?_

A little flare of jealousy rose in Chiba's chest, and he tugged his beanie over his bangs. What sort of people would Hayami prefer? The only boys he had seen with Hayami were Okajima, Sugaya, and of course, himself. Maybe Hayami had been meeting with some boys outside of school? But she definitely wasn't the type to do that.

 _Who is she buying chocolates for?_

Oh, why was he so inquisitive about that? It was none of his business if she had feelings for someone. But yet, Chiba couldn't move, frozen somewhere between the food aisle and the drink aisle, neither wanting to bother Hayami nor to fulfill his original task.

Meanwhile, Hayami was staring at the chocolates. She didn't want Black Cat to think that she gave him chocolates _just_ because she was obliged to. She wanted her chocolates to be a token of gratitude and appreciation, to thank him for always being by her side. Due to Hayami's perfectionist side, she found it hard to make the right choice.

And that was how Hayami stood there for five minutes.

Chiba was peering at Hayami through the opposite side of the shelf, where red boxes of chocolate blocked his sight. But though the gaps, he could spot Hayami's peach-coloured hair moving, and Chiba quickly turned away, pretending to be interested in the stationery on his side of the shelf.

Hayami picked up a box of round chocolates, which reminded her of the ladybugs that repaired the damage after an akuma fight. An embarrassing thought wound itself into Hayami's mind, and she quickly brushed it away.

 _It's not like I can say, "Hey, these chocolates kind of look like ladybugs, so when you eat them, think of me, okay?"_ Hayami groaned internally. _That's just terrible._

Hayami was feeling more desperate by the second, but she kept her cool and continued to hunt for the right gift.

That was when she caught sight of a box of chocolates, hidden in the corner. Hayami reached for it and discovered it contained cat-shaped chocolates.

 _That's perfect,_ Hayami had thought initially, taking the box in her hands. But, as she thought more about it, didn't it seem to be a bit basic? After all, Black Cat was a cat-themed superhero. He might have gotten tired of all the cat-based stuff around him.

Hayami pondered, her finger rubbing over the surface of the box. She had already spent too much time doing that, and she was afraid the employees of the shop might come to her and offer advice (double the embarrassment). The girl made up her mind, stoically went to the cashier, and paid for the box of cat-shaped chocolates.

Chiba sensed that Hayami had chosen her chocolates. He went to the end of the aisle and peered at the cashier stealthily. There she was, hair falling in wave-like curls over her shoulders, holding a red box. Chiba's heart began to pump quickly, and his eyes followed her figure as she put the box away and left the store.

Without his distraction (aka. Hayami), Chiba walked robotically to where the drinks were. He absentmindedly took two bottles of juice for his younger sisters, but he was thinking about Hayami and the chocolates she had bought. He hadn't clearly seen the packaging of the box, but he knew for sure they were Valentine chocolates for someone- someone she was close with. And he wasn't that someone. Chiba bit his lip, trying to calm the emotions inside him.

 _You creepy bastard, stop staring at Hayami and thinking about her all the time,_ he reprimanded himself. The boy grabbed the drinks and paid for them, and when he walked out of the store, he tried valiantly to stop wondering about the mysterious recipient of Hayami's chocolates.

 _Who will she be giving them to?_

* * *

Valentine's Day comes with confessions; and confessions comes with heartbreak.

Heartbreak comes with akumas.

Ladybug and Black Cat knew there would be at least one akuma caused by a depressed, rejected person, and they were right. This Valentine's Day akuma hollered curses across the town, crushing buildings in their wrath, vowing to destroy anything that reminded them of Valentine's Day and love.

Now, the heroes were dueling with the akuma on the rooftop of a tall, prestigious hotel. The akuma was rambling about the fragility of love as Ladybug tried to figure out the akumatized item.

"What is it?" Black Cat yelled, narrowly avoiding being punched by the akuma.

"I'm sorry, I don't know!" Ladybug cried back, dancing backwards to prevent herself from being hurt. Her green eyes widened when she saw her partner, teetering on the edge of the building. "Watch out!"

The superheroine lunged towards Black Cat, as swift as the wind, but she was too late. He had lost his footing. They both plummeted to the ground, and the watching civilians under them screamed in despair. Ladybug flung out her yoyo, Black Cat wrapped his arms around her waist, and together they swung over the amazed civilians like a pair of skilled acrobats. However, Ladybug made a miscalculation, so when she released her yoyo, it ended up hanging them upside down, face to face, the yoyo's string wrapped tightly around them.

"Um," Ladybug's cheeks flushed, her nose bumping with Black Cat's.

"This is weird," Black Cat croaked, his warm breath on Ladybug's face.

"I can fix it," Ladybug twisted her neck to get a better look of their surroundings, and released the yoyo. They both collapsed unceremoniously on the floor.

The akuma leapt down from the building, smirking. The two heroes raised their weapons, identical determined expressions on their faces.

Five minutes later, the akumatized item was destroyed, the akuma cleansed, and the civilians watched as Ladybug and Black Cat did their fistbump.

Black Cat noted that the bunch of people around them was more than usual, and many of them were whispering excitedly. Suddenly, a red-faced teenage girl was shoved out of the crowd, holding something in her hands. Her nervous eyes flitted up to Black Cat and she stammered, "Th-this chocolate is for you."

Instantly, three more girls also stepped out in unison, holding out chocolates for _him_ with bashful looks. Black Cat swept his eyes over the boxes and with an internal gasp, realized they were honmei chocolates. Handmade chocolates. They liked him.

An ordinary boy would have felt really flattered and would have accepted the chocolates graciously.

But Black Cat was more on the "terrified out of his wits" spectrum, so he leapt towards the safest place he could think of- Ladybug. He ducked behind his partner, cat ears upright and alert, hoping she could somehow help him.

Ladybug was a bit amused by Black Cat's reaction, but then she saw the cluster of girls holding out chocolates and her face turned cold. "They have chocolates for you," she stated in an equally emotionless voice. "Aren't you going to take them?"

"If you don't, there might be more akumas!" somebody yelled among the masses of people.

"Don't crush their hearts," Ladybug said stonily, and as if one cue, the girls' faces fell, posture drooping.

How could Black Cat refuse the chocolates after they had said that? He awkwardly emerged from behind Ladybug and accepted the chocolates.

Black Cat didn't really like it when people showered him with affection in his superhero form. Firstly, he wasn't really like that; and secondly, his superhero look was fake. At first, that applied to Ladybug too, but then he knew she could see under his mask- not completely, but still.

Ladybug stared at her partner and his girl fans as they surrounded him, gushing and thrusting chocolates at him. A little sadness seeped into her heart, but it was a quickly replaced by jealousy. The girl turned away stiffly, masking her emotions.

"L-Ladybug!" another nervous, male voice called. The girl spun and to her surprise, she saw Okajima standing bashfully, his hands behind his back.

 _Oh, yeah. He has a crush on my superhero identity,_ Ladybug remembered. She dearly hoped Okajima wasn't going to do something weird (she had heard rumours of him running naked around the school campus).

"Thank you for protecting our town!" Okajima declared. He held out a slightly shaking hand, a single perfect rose gripped in his fingers. His face became as red as the rose, as he stuttered, "H-happy Valentine's Day! Please accept my gift!"

An "ooooh" rose from the crowd at the sight of the teenage boy and the girl he liked. Ladybug was taken aback- she had no idea Okajima sincerely liked her, she thought he just made perverse comments about her body or something.

"Thank you," Ladybug said dazedly, and managed a smile. She took the rose from Okajima politely, and the people around them gave a long wolf whistle.

Meanwhile, people were piling so many boxes of chocolate into Black Cat's arms, he could hardly hold them all. The boy gave forced smiles in return, trying to avoid the screaming mob of girls. He was a bit happy that he received chocolates, but that was tempered by the fact that none of these girls really knew him, nor did they like him for who he was.

The memory of Hayami buying chocolates flashed into his mind. His cat ears drooped but he continued to let the girls give him chocolates, but like Ladybug, he was in a dreamlike state, his body reacting subconsciously.

 _I wish Hayami was the one to give me chocolates,_ Black Cat thought sadly.

Little did he know, the girl he liked was gazing at her rose, admiring the dewy petals, but then she tilted her head slightly to look at a certain boy.

 _I wish Black Cat was the one to give me the rose._

* * *

"I had no idea I would get that many chocolates," Black Cat confessed to Ladybug during their nightly patrol.

Ladybug twitched, tightly grasping her box of (giri) chocolates behind her back. From the way he put it, it seemed like he didn't want to receive chocolates. Maybe she should put off her gift…

"A lot of them are honmei, right?" Ladybug asked with an icy edge to her voice. It hadn't gone unnoticed by Black Cat, who wondered what was up with his partner.

"Yes, that's right. But I don't know what to do with them," Black Cat replied.

 _Wait, Kochou might have asked someone to make poisoned chocolates or something,_ Ladybug suddenly realized. _I hadn't thought about the safety concerns._ "It's best if we don't eat any handmade food we get from civilians. It's for our own safety," Ladybug said. A little part of her triumphed over the fact that Black Cat would only eat her chocolates- that is, if he hadn't received any in his civilian form.

 _But I'm just being selfish, then._

"That's a shame," Black Cat mused. "Even if I don't reciprocate their feelings, I have to admit the chocolates are nicely made."

His words were like a dagger in Ladybug's heart, and inexplicably, she began to feel ashamed, guilty for having not put more thought in her chocolates.

Black Cat noted that Ladybug was standing more stiffly than usual, and she wasn't looking directly at him. Coupled with her strangely aloof tone, and her reaction when he said the chocolates were pretty, a notion made its way into his mind.

"Ladybug?" he asked.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry if I'm wrong, but could it be… that you're _jealous_?"

"Me?" Brilliant red flushed across Ladybug's cheeks, and she fidgeted. "W-why would I be jealous?"

 _He knows. He knows._ Alarms blared in a panicked Ladybug's head, and she wanted to crawl in a hole and die. _He knows that I like him!_

"Because you've been acting differently ever since the girls gave me chocolates," Black Cat said honestly. He was a bit scared of Ladybug's reaction, and hoped he hadn't offended her.

"I'm not jealous!" Ladybug crabbed defensively, annoyed at herself. "There's nothing to be jealous for!"

"Alright, alright," the boy tried to calm her down, but Ladybug was still agitated.

"Hmph, don't think so highly of yourself!" she sniffed. "Not every girl is head over heels for you!"

Black Cat was rather speechless over Ladybug's passionate performance. Ladybug wasn't usually like that, and he began to feel guilty for apparently triggering something.

Ladybug saw how Black Cat's ears drooped, and she softened.

"I might just be a _little_ insecure," she admitted, her blush deepening. "B-because they all put a lot of effort into making their chocolates, and I just got store-bought ones…"

"... You bought chocolates for _me_?" Black Cat tilted his head. Apparently that was the only thing he had heard.

"Yes… but it's so lame compared to the other ones you received," Ladybug mumbled. She began to ramble, "People have already given you the same store-bought chocolates I had been planning to give you (that specific product was more popular than Ladybug had thought) so it's nothing special and I didn't make it, and you have too many boxes of chocolate so you probably won't even bother to look at mine's-"

"But you're the one to give it to me."

"Huh?"

"I said, you're the one to give it to me," Black Cat repeated, a soft smile on his face. "That's all that matters."

Ladybug couldn't speak, so he took it as a cue to continue, "I don't really care how pretty the chocolates are, nor how expensive they may be. The most important thing is the person the chocolates came from."

Black Cat's green eyes looked even brighter than usual as he took a deep breath and said, "And you're pretty important to me, Ladybug."

Ladybug was stunned into silence, her body feeling like it was on fire despite the cold wind blowing around them. She parted her lips to speak-

"But in a platonic way!" her partner hurried, and dots of pink appeared on his cheeks too. "You can be important to me even if I don't like you romantically- get what I mean?"

Hundreds of emotions were rushing in Ladybug's head, and she didn't know what to feel. Happy? Elated? Bittersweet? Heart-broken? Her crush just literally told her that he had zero romantic feelings for her. But she was still important to him.

Something swelled in her chest, and she stared at the boy- her partner, her friend, her crush, that was the root of it all. Her hands moved automatically, and she found herself shoving her box of chocolates at him.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" she cried with more emotion than usual. He took it with mild surprise on his face, which melted into a warmer expression as he gazed down at the cat-shaped chocolates. "Thank you," he said, and for the first time that day, he meant it when he said his gratitude. He could have received hundreds of chocolates that day, but not one of them could top the simple, store-bought chocolates Ladybug gave him.

"N-now let's get on with the patrol!" Ladybug blustered, spinning away from Black Cat. "We've wasted too much time on this!"

Black Cat leapt after Ladybug, a giddy smile breaking on his face. Ladybug had given him chocolates! Ladybug, who knew some of his faults and weaknesses, who knew a part of his awkward self, had given him chocolates on Valentine's Day!

Ladybug suddenly stopped, and she turned her head to look back at him, pigtails flying in the wind.

"For the record, I don't really like you romantically either."

When Ladybug grinned, it was ten times more beautiful than the weak smile she had given Okajima when she had received his rose.

"But you're still important to me."

* * *

"Tikki."

"Hmm?"

"I screwed up so badly this time," Hayami said flatly. "I lied to him. Multiple times. That I wasn't jealous. That I didn't like him that way."

The ladybug kwami flitted around her holder and poked Hayami's forehead. "But, it's for the best, isn't it?"

"You don't want a relationship yet. He probably doesn't want one either. You guys can keep your friendship without any more distractions and misunderstandings," Tikki explained.

"But what if he finds out I lied to him? Our trust will be broken."

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Tikki comforted Hayami. "You can tell him your reasons for hiding your feelings. He's a sensible boy; he'll understand."

Out of habit, Hayami reached for the Black Cat plushie and hugged it.

"So how do you feel about him not liking you?" Tikki prompted. Lately, she had been asking Hayami more questions about her emotions, because Tikki didn't want Hayami to keep everything to herself.

"Of course I'm a little bit disappointed. I still respect his feelings though," Hayami admitted, hugging the plushie tighter. A flashback of Black Cat saying "you're pretty important to me" came to Hayami, and that eased her hurt. "But, right now…"

The answer came back to the girl; the same reason she chose to give him giri chocolates instead of honmei. The same reason she told Black Cat she didn't like him. The same reason she enjoyed his company even if they were just working side by side.

"...being friends with him is enough for me."

* * *

" _Another_ box."

"Shut up, Plagg."

The rest of Chiba's chocolates had been unceremoniously stuffed into his wardrobe and under his bed to avoid suspicion from his family. But he placed Ladybug's chocolates next to the plushie she had given him for Christmas.

"Oh, so that's the special VIP section for Ladybug's gifts," Plagg drawled in amusement.

"Hey, Plagg, what do I do with the abundance of chocolates?" Chiba asked.

"Toss them away?" Plagg idly suggested.

"That's a total waste. The girls would be so disappointed," he argued.

"What they don't know won't hurt them," Plagg countered.

Chiba opened the door of his wardrobe and the boxes of chocolates tumbled at his feet. An idea appeared and he began to messily pile the chocolates in a stack.

"Plagg, you up for an errand?"

"NO!" Plagg yelped, although that was muffled by the cheese in his mouth. "Get some sleep, kiddo!"

"Too bad," Chiba smirked. "Plagg, claws out!"

* * *

Valentine's Day had came and passed. Chiba realized a couple of things:

1\. According to the news, a bunch of homeless people in other towns had received chocolates while they were sleeping. Chiba grinned secretly to himself when he saw their confused yet happy faces on the television. It was all worth it, despite that he had been really sleepy after delivering the chocolates.

2\. He still had no idea who Hayami's chocolates were for.

3\. Okajima hadn't gotten any chocolates, to his own chagrin.

4\. Sugaya was active on the Ladyblog again, probably due to his parents giving his electronic devices back.

The grey-haired boy turned on his laptop with a satisfied smile, and logged in. He was surprised at the number of comments asking what happened to him. Okajima, under his account of **ladybug_waifu** had explained for him (or at least, he tried to).

Some of his more aggressive fans were practically threatening him to draw, but other users like **ladybugxblackcat-otp** and **mushroom** had defended him, saying he was probably busy in real life. Sugaya was grateful and thanked them.

 **mangafan:** am i the only one who wants to see bc give lb a rose for valentines

 **ladybug_waifu:** hey i'm the one that gave her the rose originally

 **artsy-bean-pole:** Stop squabbling, that's like the only thing ladybug_waifu did that's not perverted so I drew something to celebrate

And then he sent out a drawing of Ladybug holding Okajima's rose.

The Ladybug and Black Cat shippers began to demand some content of their favourite superheroes, and Sugaya _knew_ that would happen, so he had quickly drew something to satisfy his fans.

 **artsy-bean-pole:** You want a rose? Have a rose then!

A black rose on a white background was sent, to his fans' confusion. Where were the two heroes?

 **mangafan:** that's literally… a rose

 **ladybugxblackcat-otp:** click on it. it's transparent.

 **ladybugxblackcat-otp:** and it's amazing

When clicked on it, the picture was enlarged and had a black background, so they could now clearly see Black Cat handing the black rose to Ladybug, both drawn in white.

 **mushroom:** That's clever! You used the way this website shows images to your advantage!

 **artsy-bean-pole:** Thanks :)

Sugaya watched as the people rioted over his simple sketch, feeling immensely happy that his art was being appreciated.

And he didn't care how badly he had done in his exams; he was stuck inside his little bubble of art.

However, the chairman of Kunigigaoka Junior High had different plans.

He scanned the documents, a grim smile on his face. These were the students who had fallen behind on their studies. The ones that were weak. The ones that would be ignored.

The ones that would form the new 3-E.

* * *

 **A/N: Writer's block really did hit me hard, sorry! I'm so glad that seven people reviewed!**

 **You want akumas for the RGB trio, and I think I can include Nagisa (in the faaar future) and Kayano (also in the far future), but I may not be able to do one for Karma. That's because a) he's really powerful and I'm sorta afraid Ladybug and Black Cat will have a hard time dealing with his akuma and b) I'm not sure I can get Karma's character right.**

 _ **ArchbowMistress**_ **, Koro-sensei will appear in the story. As you see from this chapter, they're approaching March and hence, their time in 3-E.** _ **DreamDuelist,**_ **you're right, a lot of stuff will happen while they're in 3-E. And possibly beyond. *cackles***

 **And WE. HIT. 2000. VIEWS! Many thanks to each and every one of you!**

 **Also, the wonderful** _ **Fumiko Matsubara**_ **drew fanart for this fanfic! Thanks! Please check it out because I think it's super adorable. :D**

 **(Remove parentheses.)**

 **Ladybug (Hayami): (sta).(sh/0r5wcgf8q05)**

 **Black Cat (Chiba): (sta).(sh/01je7umfwexh)**

 **She also has a tumblr blog where she draws ChibaHaya (and some Which Partner?) stuff. The art is beautiful (and yeah there's some Chiba with his hair** _ **gelled**_ **and eyes exposed just imagine that) so please visit her blog** _ **fumiko-matsubara**_ **!**

 **Thanks to those who read, favourited, followed or reviewed! Please continue to support this fanfic!**

 **(PS: anyone want to guess who the mysterious Ladyblog user** mushroom **is?)**


	11. Evillustrator

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.**

* * *

 **Warning: This chapter may be a little fast-paced, and deals with more characters than just Chiba and Hayami. It's also a lot longer than my usual chapters.**

* * *

 _It's a notice from the Chairman._

Hayami stared blankly at the pristine sheet in front of her. She would belong in a class of misfits and delinquents. She would be isolated from the rest of the school.

She would be dropped down to Class 3-E.

The rest of the class sniggered, save for the ones that had also received their notices. Head bowed low, Chiba's hands trembled, trying to convince himself the words on the notice weren't real.

 _Chiba Ryuunosuke,_

 _It is with much regret that I inform you your grades have not met the standard of the form, and you will be in Class 3-E starting from April._

 _In order to help you accommodate, you will be taking your classes in the 3-E campus starting from March._

 _Attached in the appendix are a list of rules 3-E students must follow._

 _Signed,_

 _Chairman Asano_

Chiba had tried so hard so get his grades up and manage his superhero duties at the same, but he had failed.

Sure, he and Ladybug had done their best to protect their town, but after patrols and fights, they were sapped of their energy. Combined with their schoolwork and studies, they became utterly exhausted.

And now he had to face the consequences by being the laughing stock of the school. He shook his head, frustrated with himself.

"Wow, I thought that guy's smart…" a classmate chortled, and Chiba stiffened.

"Yeah, we always asked him to help us. Guess he's just a mindless working machine…"

Chiba thought about how his teachers and family would be so disappointed in him. He felt like he had let everyone down, the guilt like a heavy weight on his shoulders.

Hayami tried to tune out the noise of the other classmates chattering about them. A bitter feeling rose in her chest and it filled her with despair and overwhelming disappointment.

 _I'm not good enough. I'm never good enough._

There she sat, frozen and numb. Hayami wished Tikki could talk to her and comfort her, but they were in public. Once the bell for break rang, Hayami immediately stepped out of the room, ignoring her classmates' judgemental looks.

Once Hayami was in the corridors, a flash of gold caught her eye. There was her first friend in this school, Nakamura, but instead of her usual carefree look, her expression was grim and the cheeky glint in her eyes were not present. It was unnerving for Hayami to see her loud, goofy friend so quiet and serious. Her blue eyes widened a bit when she saw Hayami, but they were quickly filled with sadness with a hint of shame. Nakamura blinked, and in a flash her emotions were concealed.

"Nakamura," Hayami greeted. She noted that her voice sounded tired.

"Rinka-chan," Nakamura sidled up to her. She gave her friend a small smile but to Hayami it seemed forced. "I'm sorry, but I don't think we can be in the same class next year. You have to find someone else to do group projects with, I guess."

Hayami sized Nakamura up, from her weird statement to her posture. Nakamura mouthed "3-E" and continued to smile as if nothing had happened, but it lacked her usual energy.

"Oh." At first, Hayami didn't know what to say. From what she'd seen, Nakamura was a born genius, unlike her. Hayami only managed to get good grades through hard work, while Nakamura got hers through natural intelligence. If Nakamura worked hard, she would surely be the top of the form. Hayami was a little confused, but she didn't want to hurt Nakamura's feelings.

"I, umm, don't think we'll have that problem." Hayami stared at her shoes. "Because I got into your class too…"

It took Hayami a lot of courage to admit that, because Nakamura knew she worked very hard, but despite Hayami's efforts, she wasn't able to excel.

Thankfully, if Nakamura was surprised, she didn't show it. She flung an arm around Hayami and grinned. "Wow great, we'll be in the same class! At least we'll have each other!"

Hayami was selfishly glad that Nakamura had gotten into 3-E too, so she would have a companion. But she quickly reprimanded herself for that. Nakamura was a smart person, she shouldn't associate herself with mindless fools like Hayami.

"Yeah, that's right," Hayami managed to get out. She knew Nakamura was trying to make her feel better, so she shouldn't look so solemn.

On the bright side, Hayami wouldn't have to worry about being dropped to 3-E, because she was _already_ sent there. The workload would probably be significantly less and she could dedicate more time to fighting crime. Maybe if she and Black Cat worked hard enough, they could defeat Kochou that year.

Hayami didn't allow her emotions to control her for too long. Her response to failure was basically "I will work harder". The girl set new goals for herself, but even that couldn't distract her from the disappointment she would face at home.

Hayami stared at the door of her apartment. Her mother didn't spend much time with her, but Hayami knew she would have to eventually face her at dinner. Her mother was rather demanding and a wave of guilt washed over the young girl again, feeling like she'd let her mother down.

Hayami took a deep breath, and opened the door to her empty house.

* * *

Chiba hated it.

He hated the disappointed looks from his parents. He hated how they'd just sighed when he showed them the notice. He hated how they just quietly went in their room, too tired to even scold him.

Chiba would honestly rather have his parents yell and scream at him until their voices were hoarse. But this silent treatment was like his parents giving up on him. As if there wasn't any hope for him.

And Chiba hated that more than anything else.

He wanted to prove he was useful too.

The boy fell face-down in his bed, not even caring if his bangs became messy. His school bag gave a audible _thump_ as he dropped it, echoing through the noiseless household.

"I hate this…" he muttered, words slightly muffled.

Plagg zoomed out of the bag, not knowing what to say. His holder rarely complained, so when he did, something must be affecting him greatly. Plagg cautiously sat on the bed, then in a rare show of affection, he leaned against Chiba's cheek, offering support. The boy slowly looked up. One of Chiba's red eyes was visible, which stared miserably at Plagg, and it made Plagg sad just by seeing his state.

The kwami was a bit taken aback by Chiba's show of raw emotions. Sure, Plagg had seen Chiba's eyes before, but not when he was emotionally vulnerable.

Chiba burrowed his face in his pillow, not willing to face the world at that moment. A single tear leaked out of his eye and dampened the fabric of the pillow.

Plagg heard Chiba's phone vibrate, and he saw there was a new notification. Curiously, he flew towards the phone and dragged it back in front of his holder's face.

"Hey, kid," Plagg said in a raspier voice than usual. "Look."

Chiba blearily opened his eyes. Plagg might be insensitive at times, but Chiba was sure his kwami genuinely wanted to help him. The notification was from a post on the Ladyblog.

 **Hinano:** To all those people who are feeling sad and worthless right now, it's okay. We all have our weak moments. When I was freed from my akumatization, I felt really guilty, but Ladybug was there to comfort me. She said, "Everyone has their bad days. Tomorrow will be a new one." So, we shouldn't remain in the past for too long and work towards our future! Let's do our best!

 _Hinano…_ The name spun in Chiba's mind and then he remembered that was Kurahashi's given name. She had also been akumatized and had turned him into a cat.

Yes, it made sense for his cheerful classmate to be encouraging. Chiba vaguely recalled she was also sent down to 3-E. It was probably difficult for Kurahashi to remain optimistic despite the circumstances, but she somehow did it.

Maybe it was because of her post, maybe it wasn't, but the twenty-six students who had received their notices never got akumatized that day.

* * *

Black Cat felt slightly better during patrol. There was something about the freedom of running on rooftops under the cover of the night that always managed to lift his mood, even just by a bit.

He sat on the edge of the town library, waiting for his fellow superhero.

A minute later, Ladybug arrived, looking even more serious than ever. She stepped close to Black Cat and said, "Let's start."

"Wait." A lit up screen slid out from Black Cat's baton, and he held it close to Ladybug's face as a light source. He frowned, and Ladybug swallowed, knowing what he'd seen.

"You've been slapped," he accused, peering at the slightly red mark on Ladybug's right cheek. She instinctively placed a hand over it, hiding the mark from view. "It's nothing," she said automatically.

Obviously, Black Cat wasn't going to take that as an answer. A thousand questions ran through his mind. Who had hurt her? Was she slapped in her civilian form? Did her parents do that? "You can trust me, Ladybug."

 _Yes, I know._ Ladybug stared into his eyes. If it wasn't Black Cat in front of her, she would've coldly turned away and she would've tried to use makeup to cover it up. But this was her friend and her partner.

"Well," Ladybug rubbed at her arms self-consciously. "My grades haven't been good lately because of… other duties, so my mother got angry and… and then she slapped me."

A spike of anger flashed in Black Cat's eyes, and his fake cat ears, which had been lying flat all night, instantly stood up.

Noticing his aggressive behavior (which was similar to a cat's), Ladybug reassured him, "It doesn't happen often. I'm pretty much okay." She moved forward and lightly scratched Black Cat's chin, which calmed him down immediately.

"You know, my grades have also suffered…" Black Cat admitted. "I guess being a superhero has its costs. I have less time to study."

"Same here."

"Did your mom scold you?"

"Ah, yes. I got an earful."

"That's almost nice," he muttered thoughtfully. Upon seeing his partner's confused look, he elaborated, "My parents didn't even want to talk to me. At least you know your mother cares because she scolds you."

"That's a new perspective," Ladybug replied. She wondered if she would've felt worse if her mother didn't say a word about her grades. And then, she noticed his ears were drooping again, and that dampened her mood.

"Umm hey," she got out awkwardly. "You want a hug?"

He nodded, and she hugged him briefly, enjoying the warmth of his body. Ladybug was aware that this was the first time they'd hugged, and probably was the first time she'd hugged a boy too. A pleasant feeling settled down inside her, making her feel safe. Due to them not being big on physical contact, she pulled away quickly.

The two shuffled away, both of them a bit embarrassed by the hug. Usually Black Cat was apathetic to Ladybug's shows of affection (like petting his head), but he kind of liked hugging Ladybug.

"Let's get going, then."

* * *

The classroom was quiet. Hayami stared at the creaky, wooden floorboards underneath her feet.

 _This campus is really rundown._

She anxiously fidgeted with her fingers. Starting from today, the 1st of March, she would be taking her classes in the 3-E campus. When she and Nakamura (they had decided to meet up) went up the stairs, the other students had laughed and scorned them.

There was already a seating plan taped to the blackboard. Hayami was thankful that Nakamura was sitting right in front of her.

She had arrived early, so only some of her classmates were present at the moment. Hayami spun and to her dread, Okajima was next to her.

Yet, even though Hayami didn't like Okajima because of his perverted ways, she was oddly relieved to see him. She had shared classes with Okajima for two years, and they would spend their final year in the same class too. It became a daily routine to purposely ignore him. Strangely enough, Hayami would find herself missing him if he wasn't in the same class. It was a bit unsettling to be near him because she knew Okajima had a crush on her alter ego, but it didn't matter anyway. He didn't know she was Ladybug.

Hayami looked at bit further and saw Chiba sitting behind Okajima. The boys had their heads lowered. She bit her lip, and returned to staring at her desk like everyone else.

As the clock ticked, more students filed into the classroom, until most of them were present. Chiba was surprised that even Isogai, who had one of the best grades of the form, was in 3-E. He caught sight of a little blue-haired girl- wait, judging from the uniform, he was a boy. But even so, he was pretty short.

Once the bell rang, a young teacher walked into the room, and beamed upon her students. "Good morning class! My name is Yukimura Aguri, so please call be Yukimura-sensei! Starting from today, I'll be your-" she stopped abruptly when she realized no one was listening. Aguri cocked her head.

"Is- is something wrong?" Aguri asked nervously.

"Sensei," Maehara said, effectively breaking the awkward atmosphere in the classroom. "What's up with that weird shirt?"

"Huh?" Aguri looked down at her shirt, which had a long, flowery green creature on it, with wide eyes and a comical smile. Unknownst to her, the students thought the colours clashed together, and combined with the unknown creature, they thought it was a weird design. "It's a cute T-shirt!" she protested.

 _Our new teacher has a funny taste in clothes,_ the class thought in unison, sweatdropping.

"All right! I'll be taking the attendance," Aguri continued cheerfully. She took out the tattered book and laid it on the teacher's desk.

As the teacher called out names, Chiba realized that everyone except the student behind him was present. A shiver ran down his spine; so _the_ infamous, cunning delinquent Akabane Karma was going to sit behind him? Chiba heard he had gotten suspended, and he did not want to mingle with delinquents at all.

At lunch, Hayami sat with Yada, Kurahashi and Nakamura, while Chiba sat with Sugaya and Okajima. A boy called Kimura asked to sit with them and they agreed. The atmosphere was still a bit gloomy, although the class had a good laugh when talking about their teacher's clothes. Kurahashi and Nakamura were the only people talking actively in the room, which attracted everyone else's attention.

"Rio-chan, is that spaghetti?"

"Yeah, it's more interesting than the plain old bentos," Nakamura replied, twirling the spaghetti strands with her fork.

"Ehh, bentos taste good too!"

Hayami quietly spooned rice in her mouth, feeling a bit out of place with her chatty friends.

"Hey, what do you think of our teacher?" Nakamura asked out of the blue. Hayami could never get how Nakamura could swiftly switch conversation topics.

"I like Yukimura-sensei," Kurahashi answered, quickly adapting to the new topic. "She's nice and she's really passionate about teaching!"

"The only bad thing about her is her weird clothes. Does she seriously think they're fashionable or is she playing a joke?" Nakamura stretched out her legs and yawned, completely ignoring that she was wearing a skirt. Unfortunately, somebody happened to pass by and tripped over one of Nakamura's legs.

"Sorry about that…" Nakamura looked at the person, vaguely recalling a name from the attendance check, "Shiota-san? Or is it…" Nakamura observed the person's little figure and blue ponytail. "Shiota- _kun_?"

"Ah, I'm actually a boy," he pushed himself up from the ground, an embarrassed smile on his face. "Just call me Nagisa."

"Alright, Nagisa-kun, sorry for tripping you." Nakamura looked like she still didn't believe Nagisa was a boy. Hayami stifled a grin at the sight of Nakamura's dramatically raised eyebrows. "You look a lot like a girl though."

"I get that often…" Nagisa rubbed where his head made contact with the floor, wincing slightly. The girls watched as he went back to his table.

"Hmm," Nakamura crossed her arms, her attention now grabbed by the blue-haired boy. "If he was wearing a skirt, I would've thought he was a girl. Oy, Nagisa-kun!" she yelled to the other side of the room. "Let's put you in a maid costume! I bet you'll look cute in it!"

Nagisa's usual calm, unaffected demeanor changed in a second. "I'll rather not, Nakamura-san!" he yelled back quickly, face scorching.

"Heh, he looks like an interesting person…" Nakamura drawled, while Hayami and Yada shared a knowing look. Nakamura always complained that the boys at their school were boring, so was that boy an exception?

Meanwhile, Aguri stood by the classroom door, only hearing the clacking of cutlery instead of the boisterous chattering of middle-school students. A slight frown appeared on her face; she wanted to cheer them up and educate them the best she could, but Aguri knew she was being threatened to quit her teaching job to work full-time at the facility. Aguri didn't have much of a choice, nor did she have a lot of time left to nurture her fresh batch of students. She knew how 3-E students usually were, and she desperately wanted to reignite their hope and passion. Aguri sighed as she remembered her last class. They had all liked her and respected her, but they were still as low-spirited as ever. It saddened her to see them so discouraged and wasting their precious lives. Thank goodness her younger sister was an optimistic and determination individual.

* * *

"Good afternoon," she said politely as she entered the quiet, pristine room, a clipboard in her hand. Her "patient" of sorts, a young man, was staring at the wall, a calm expression on his face. But she knew better than to judge him by his appearance.

"Ah. Good afternoon," the man spun to look at her, black hair falling over his forehead. He raised an eyebrow. "Good to see your fashion taste is as… consistent as ever."

She crossed her arms protectively over her chest and pouted. "Hmph, stop teasing me! My new students thought the same too."

"New students?" he said in interest. "Ah, so it's that time of the year again."

"The school system is so unfair," she muttered. "Just because their grades might not be the best doesn't mean they're all useless! And they all seemed to have given up on their lives." She stepped closer to the wall separating them, big eyes gazing at his, and continued, "They have a lot of potential but what if they wasted it or used it for the wrong purposes? Teachers aren't just teachers, they have to guide the students too."

He felt like her last few sentences were directed towards him. He remembered how his first student ended up betraying him. And now he had to pay the price for not teaching him well. He distinctly heard the sound of footsteps outside the room, and quietly said, "You should hurry up."

"Ah right, sorry." She scurried around the room, quickly jotting down figures. He watched her every move. The footsteps became closer and she began to panic, hands trembling.

"Don't worry, if that Yanagisawa tries to hit you, I'll just kill him when I escape later," the man said nonchalantly, a hand poised on the transparent wall, ready to punch if it was needed. It was at times like this she remembered the man she saw on a daily basis was not like any other man. She wrote down her last observation, and put her pen down.

"I'm done. See you tomorrow," she managed to say cheerfully.

"Ah, see you tomorrow."

* * *

"Your old homeroom teachers from the main campus gave your tests back," Aguri announced, placing a stack of paper on the teacher's desk. The class groaned internally- surely the teachers did it deliberately to further damage their pride. Receiving their low scores was just another way to mock at the E-as-in-End class.

"They had written down comments for you to improve," Aguri continued, but even she knew their so-called "comments" were just scathing insults about the "stupidity" of 3-E students. "Well, I'll distribute them."

Sugaya gulped upon hearing his teacher say that. He had a (bad) habit of drawing on the test papers, and from what he'd remembered, he'd drawn a lot of waves, being suddenly inspired by The Great Wave off Kanagawa. Sugaya put in a lot of effort into drawing the water droplets and the way the waves moved instead of actually focusing on his test. Sugaya didn't remember what he had written down for the test, but he did remember he was pleased by his drawing.

 _A 29 out of 100,_ Sugaya sighed, his answer sheet riddled with numerous red markings. _That was expected._ He flipped the sheet of paper to the other side, where his drawing was. To his horror, there were ugly red slashes over his precious wave drawing, crossing it out and permanently destroying it. There was a comment next to it too, which read, "It would be nice if you put in this much effort in studying! Art is impractical."

Something swelled inside the normally calm Sugaya, and he glared daggers at the ruined drawing. He and his classmates had tried so hard to keep their spirits high in order to not be akumatized, but this was the limit. Anger, frustration, sadness, disappointment, every emotion he felt once he knew he was dropped down to 3-E resurfaced in one go. He gripped the sheet so tightly he nearly ripped it, his knuckles white from clenching.

Deep deep down, he knew he was wrong for drawing when he was supposed to do a test. But art skills were about the only thing Sugaya had. He wasn't smart, or charismatic, or athletic. He was just a guy who _loved_ to create.

Yes, Sugaya knew artists didn't really live a comfortable life. Yes, Sugaya knew according to the society, having good grades was more important than doing art.

But Sugaya was a born artist. That was the way he was. And he couldn't change that.

And he absolutely despised it when people didn't appreciate his art. He could pour so much time and effort into a piece of artwork, spend ages making sure it was perfect down to the last stroke, and yet people could still regard it as trash.

Sugaya wasn't one to lose his temper easily. But all of his negative thoughts and feelings were building up and filling him, until Sugaya felt like a balloon about to burst. All of his accumulated stress and misery came crashing down on him at once.

The boy couldn't take it anymore. He crumpled up his paper in a ball, pushed back his chair and stormed out of the classroom. Chiba and Okajima wanted to call for him, but upon seeing Sugaya's unusually grim expression, they decided to give him some space for a while.

Aguri was also worried for her student that had just left the classroom. But contrary to his friends, who left him alone, she also exited the room, in pursuit of Sugaya. She found him standing sullenly in a corner, head bowed low and the crumpled up piece of paper in his head.

"Sugaya-kun?" Aguri called cautiously, approaching the boy with small steps. He didn't move. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"They ruined my drawing," Sugaya stated plainly as if he was a child.

Aguri gently pried the paper from his fist and flattened it. Her eyes widened in surprise. She traced a finger over the pencil strokes, and then she caught sight of the comment by the teacher. "It's a fantastic drawing, Sugaya-kun."

"T-thanks," Sugaya mumbled, not used to the kindness from his teacher.

"Hmm, is it possible to put this on a T-shirt?" Aguri thought out loud. She saw Sugaya's expression, and her face reddened slightly. "I know you kids think my shirts are weird, b-but I just really like your drawing and it's not weird at all…"

"It's fine." Aguri was naturally cheerful and Sugaya found himself feeling better. "It's just that-"

A flapping sound caught their attention, and the teacher-student duo looked up at a purple butterfly that was thrashing against a window, before it slipped between a gap and fluttered in.

"An akuma!" Aguri and Sugaya gasped, instinctively backing away. Aguri stepped forward determinedly, hands spread out. "I won't let you akumatize my student! Get lost!"

The akuma paid no heed and continued to fly towards them. Aguri and Sugaya had reached a wall, and Aguri forced Sugaya to stand behind her, as she tried to swat the butterfly away with a book. "Go away! Don't hurt Sugaya-kun!"

"Yukimura-sensei…" Sugaya was surprised yet grateful his teacher cared so much for him. If he was in the main campus, the teachers would have all ran away, leaving him to suffer on his own. His grey eyes narrowed in determination; he wouldn't let his teacher selflessly protect him.

The akuma was beginning to get too close for comfort, and in panic, Sugaya dug into his pockets and pulled out a pen. He reflectively threw it at the akuma like a dart, and the pen collided with the akuma, both of them dropping to the floor. But unfortunately, Sugaya and Aguri's efforts were in vain, and they watched helplessly as the akuma slipped inside the pen, akumatizing the object.

Aguri whipped her head towards her student, a hand reaching out for his shoulder. "Sugaya-kun, please-"

But it was too late, and the purple outline of Kochou's mask had appeared on Sugaya's face.

"Please, please fight the akuma! You can do it, Sugaya-kun!" Aguri pleaded, both hands on his shoulders now.

Somewhere in his hazy mind, Sugaya was glad he had a teacher that actually cared, but the akuma's influence was too strong. He couldn't even mouth a weak "sorry" before the purple magic consumed him from head to toe. Dressed in a black and white outfit with colourful paint splatters, he pushed Aguri off with one gloved hand. His deep violet eyes stared up at his teacher, swirling black tattoos crawling up his cheek, his dark grey hair now in a little ponytail. There were different tools such as a paintbrush, a pencil and a spray can hanging on his belt. With his other hand, he twirled his pen, which was now black with a neon blue gauge on it.

"Sorry, I'm not Sugaya," the akuma said lightly and continued to twirl the pen. Aguri was frozen with horror. Unexpectedly, he jabbed it at Aguri she instantly became as flat as a sheet, almost as if she was a motionless 2D plane. The akuma took his pencil and swiped it over Aguri's face. Instantly, Aguri became a black and white, life-sized 2D sketch of herself, the rough pencil strokes capturing the scared look in her eyes.

The akuma grinned cheekily, placing his pencil back on his belt.

"I'm Evillustrator."

* * *

"Geez, Yukimura-sensei and Sugaya are still out there…" Okajima muttered.

Chiba felt goosebumps on his skin. Ever since Sugaya went out, he had a distinct feeling that something bad would happen.

The door suddenly slid open with more force than necessary. As if on the same brainwave, everyone's eyes snapped to the door.

A boy with a grey ponytail and glowing pen smirked back at them.

Two seats in front of Chiba, Mimura fell out of his chair.

A beat of silence. Chiba's eyes darted to the door, their only means of escape, which was blocked by the akuma. He subconsciously began to fiddle with his ring.

" _Sugaya_?" Okajima screeched.

The akuma casually sidled up to the desks until he reached Kataoka. He took out his pen, about to touch her-

"No!" a figure screamed and dived in front of Kataoka, her body quickly freezing and turning into a 2D version of her. Kurahashi's hands flew up to her mouth in horror. _Touka-chan had sacrificed herself for Kataoka-chan!_

Kataoka couldn't react, flabbergasted by Yada's actions. Evillustrator took the chance to quickly touch her with his pen. Instantly, the blue gauge on his pen lowered, and he frowned.

"Run!" Isogai commanded as he helped a stunned Mimura up from the ground. Maehara whipped his head around and grabbed a girl's arm instinctively.

"Hey!" the girl, Okano, kicked him in the shin. "I can leave by myself, thank you very much!"

The classroom sank into chaos, the students rushing out of the classroom. Chiba dashed to the washroom and quickly transformed. Black Cat leapt out, spinning his baton and nearly crashed into Hayami, who was loitering in the corridor.

"E-eh? Why are you here?" Black Cat stammered. "It's not safe!"

"U-umm…" Hayami couldn't speak. She was just about to transform but she was caught off guard by her partner who appeared out of nowhere. Her partner who looked really concerned for her, even when she was just a civilian.

"Please get out," Black Cat's fingers closed around her wrist, and Hayami blushed in surprise. He lead her out of the old building, and she wondered how he had arrived so quickly.

"It's okay, Black Cat. I can take care of myself," Hayami assured him.

"Don't make me worried," he replied, and he ran back to the classroom, where Evillustrator was.

Hayami dashed to the other side of the building where she would be hidden from view. Her heart was pumping quickly due to the excitement and Black Cat. He was worried for her, that meant he cared about her. She shook her head, not wanting to deal with _that_ when she had more important things to do.

"Tikki, spots on!"

* * *

Black Cat sprinted to the classroom, and peered in. Kataoka was colour pencil sketch and Yada was a watercolour painting. There were a few upturned desks and a few 2D classmates, and the windows were sprayed with a a colourful array of paint, but there was no akuma in sight. His perception of reality became woozy due to his surroundings looking like a glitch in a computer game, 2D elements melding in a 3D universe. He jerked his head and saw a camouflaged Evillustrator pressed against the wall, his pen laying innocently in a spot of sunlight on a desk. On closer inspection, the blue gauge was filling up, so Black Cat assumed sunlight was the source of this akuma's energy. He leapt towards the akumatized pen, baton stretched out-

Evillustrator slid out from his hiding spot and snatched the pen. He quickly took out a can and sprayed Black Cat with neon green paint, who blocked it by spinning his baton. Evillustrator took this chance to escape by crashing through a window and tumbling out to the lawn outside.

Black Cat, temporarily stunned by the paint attack, tried to follow the akuma, but he was nowhere to be seen. A familiar whizzing of a yoyo sounded behind him, and he turned around, a relieved smile on his face. "Ladybug!"

"Did he just get out?" Ladybug flashed her partner a quick smile before getting back to business.

"Yes, but I lost track of him." Black Cat squinted at the grass outside.

"Let's try anyway." Ladybug swung herself out of the hole Evillustrator had made, and her partner followed suit.

Meanwhile, Evillustrator was lurking in the woods and finally found a sunny spot for him to fully recharge his pen. He enjoyed the brief peace before he felt a pair of eyes focused on him. Instantly on guard, the akuma crouched and observed the area. He took the pen again and twirled it, before scampering towards a tree and slammed one of his classmates against it, trapping them under his weight.

Nakamura smiled up at him, as if that was a daily occurrence.

"You use sunlight to recharge your pen, huh," she said easily, not ruffled by the fact that she was trapped and Evillustrator's pen was poised to strike at her.

Nakamura didn't know much about Sugaya other than he was a fantastic artist and he went by the name **artsy-bean-pole** on Ladyblog, but she also knew she had zero chance of escaping from the akuma's clutches now. Might as well enjoy being turned into a piece of art. So, she gave the akuma a lazy smirk, as if she was challenging him. Practically nothing could faze Nakamura.

Or so she thought.

Evillustrator leaned closer, a similar smirk on his face, and whispered, "Your hair's dyed, right?"

Nakamura's eyes widened-

The pen hit her forehead, and Evillustrator stood back to look at her unusually surprised expression.

"Blonde hair does look good on you," Evillustrator mused out loud. "But I wonder what you'd look like in your original hair colour…"

He took out a paintbrush and stroked her hair. Deep brown rippled through Nakamura's previously blonde hair, and Evillustrator blinked, stepping back. Nakamura… looked a bit weird. She suddenly looked more like a normal schoolgirl instead of a reckless rebel. The thought of Nakamura being a sweet, demure student was too weird even for the akuma, and he scoffed, quickly painting blue streaks in her hair, the same colour as her eyes. That looked a bit better.

Kochou's mask appeared over his face. "Evillustrator, if you keep on wasting your time on doing irrelevant things, I will take your powers away," the male voice murmured.

Evillustrator made a face. "Even _you're_ limiting my freedom! The world is literally my canvas, I can do whatever I want!"

"I'm serious," Kochou, threat in his quiet voice. Instantly, Evillustrator's body froze, and he couldn't move even though he struggled too. "Hey!" he yelped.

"That was a warning," Kochou released his grip on Evillustrator. "Now bring me the ladybug and the cat miraculouses!"

"Yes, Kochou-sama," Evillustrator obeyed him. After he had recharged his pen, the akuma leapt away in search for the two superheroes.

Meanwhile, Black Cat and Ladybug were talking to some of the students. The duo had nudged and shot each other glances until Ladybug finally stepped up to talk to Isogai, while Black Cat kept watch. Isogai and Maehara were supporting a third, half-conscious person on their shoulders, with splatters of paint all over their clothes.

"Is he okay?" Ladybug asked.

"Eh, Mimura's fine," Maehara poked the boy's cheek. "He's never been the same ever since Sugaya came barreling in the classroom. Probably too shocked by his appearance."

"Have you seen the akuma?" Ladybug honestly felt like Black Cat owed her for making her ask civilians for information. Thankfully for her, Isogai wasn't exactly a stranger and his natural demeanor made Ladybug feel comfortable (or as comfortable she could get around people).

"Fuwa said she had seen a shadow slip into the forest, and she was positive it was a boy's. So far, most boys are here with us, so it's highly possible the akuma is in the woods," Isogai gestured to the thick, unfamiliar forest that the class saw everyday. None of them had ever entered the forest.

"He can use camouflage," Black Cat mentioned.

"Seems typical for an art-themed supervillain," Maehara sighed. "Good luck fighting him."

Ladybug tilted her head to look at Black Cat, and nodded. He nodded back, and the two prepared to leave. "Stay safe!" Black Cat told them and then he and his partner zoomed off to the woods.

"You take right, I'll take left," Ladybug whispered, and Black Cat hummed in reply. The forest was quiet with only the occasional chirp of a bird and the faint whizzing of Ladybug's yoyo. The shadows casted by the leaves on the ground made the woods more mysterious and imposing.

The sound of a branch snapping sounded behind them, and the duo spun their heads so quickly they nearly twisted their necks, listening intently. Suddenly, Ladybug grabbed Black Cat's collar and yanked him to the side. A rock right next to them instantly became a 2D object. "Watch out," she hissed.

Neither of them could see where Evillustrator was, but they were sure he was near them. Black Cat's eyes snapped left, right, up, down until he caught sight of Evillustrator perched on top of tree, cleverly camouflaged among the numerous leaves. The two made eye contact, and Evillustrator prepared to strike, his pen in his hand again-

Black Cat extended his baton and managed to hit Evillustrator's arm, so he was unable to throw properly. Ladybug sent her yoyo flying at the akuma, hoping to tangle him up, but Evillustrator grabbed the yoyo and Ladybug had to yank the yoyo away from his grasp.

The three became to engage in combat. Evillustrator's pen was mostly charged and he took out a spray can, sending paint flying at the two heroes. They dodged and advanced, hiding behind their spinning yoyo and baton. Evillustrator gritted his teeth as he jumped from tree to tree, trying to avoid his opponents' weapons yet trying to attack at the same time. He couldn't camouflage his suit quickly enough so Ladybug and Black Cat kept on seeing where he was.

Unused to the terrain, the less agile Black Cat tripped on a root, which left him temporarily vulnerable. Ladybug was attacking Evillustrator from the other side and could only look upon in horror. Evillustrator took advantage of it and flung his pen at Black Cat.

The boy scampered up but knew it was too late, his eyes wide and mouth open-

Ladybug leapt in front of Black Cat, arms and legs spread wide as if waiting for an embrace. The pen hit her squarely on the chest and she froze in midair, her determined expression starkly in contrast to the shocked faces Evillustrator's victims using wore. Evillustrator found that surprising, but intriguing.

"Well, that's charming, sacrificing themselves to save their partner," Kochou, who had been watching through Evillustrator's eyes, remarked. Evillustrator noticed there was something weird in his tone, like Kochou had been thinking about something.

"Is something the matter, Kochou-sama?"

There was a moment of silence. "No, it's nothing," Kochou said offhandedly.

"No!" Black Cat screamed, the desperate tone surprising even him, and he looked at the 2D plane that used to be his partner. Upon hearing his voice, Evillustrator's attention snapped to him, readying his pen again. In a fury, Black Cat grabbed his baton and slashed it across Evillustrator's stomach, knocking him backwards.

A glowing outline of a mask appeared on Evillustrator's face. "Yes, get the miraculouses!" Kochou's voice sounded. "Oh, just wait a bit, I'll defeat them both in the end," Evillustrator grinned wickedly.

"You won't!" Black Cat found himself uselessly pronouncing, boiling anger bubbling inside him. He rapidly swung his baton at the akuma with surprising strength. Ladybug had gotten hurt because of his own mistake, and he channeled his guilt and frustration into attacking the akuma. Evillustrator threw his pen again, but it missed the target and hit a nearby tree. It flew back to the akuma as if it was a boomerang.

Black Cat knew he had to find something to bring Ladybug back because only she could purify the akuma and fix the damage. After a quick search on Evillustrator's body, Black Cat could see a small pouch on his belt. Maybe that was where he kept a secret tool.

Black Cat returned to the 2D Ladybug and found her yoyo lying on the dirt ground. She had probably dropped it because she thought it could help him when she couldn't. He tried to use it but his aim was off, plus he had to get away from Evillustrator's attacks at the same time. But after a while, Black Cat decided that using a yoyo wasn't that bad. He could manage to throw the yoyo at a certain angle which made it bounce towards his target. So learning mathematics and angles wasn't that useless.

In a series of quick movements, the yoyo bounced off tree trunks and finally around Evillustrator's waist. Black Cat yanked on the yoyo string and Evillustrator flew towards him. The boy reached out a hand and wrenched the pouch away from the belt. Evillustrator managed to kick him and Black Cat let go of the yoyo, the akuma tumbling backwards.

While the akuma recovered from the fall, Black Cat turned the pouch upside down, and to his relief, a purple eraser fell out. He immediately took it and gently touched Ladybug's forehead. In a purple flash, Ladybug became 3D again and she lost her balance due to being midair, and then she toppled backwards. Black Cat caught her and Ladybug gripped his arm to steady herself. She looked up and saw Black Cat glaring angrily at her, probably mad at her for using herself as a shield. The girl instinctively scratched his chin then picked up her yoyo as if nothing had happened. "Where did he go, Black Cat?"

"Huh?" Black Cat swiveled, but Evillustrator had vanished, the only trace of his existence being the multiple 2D objects that were scattered around them.

"He probably went to recharge his pen," Black Cat mused. "Sunlight is the source of his energy."

"Well, it's time to use my Lucky Charm!" Ladybug threw her yoyo in the air and a red and black umbrella fell down. Ladybug looked at it for a second before she whispered her plan in Black Cat's ear. He nodded to show he understood.

"Alright, let's find that akuma!" The two superheroes leapt through the woods, carefully searching for Evillustrator.

Evillustrator had fully recharged his pen when he heard a rustle of leaves behind him. Before he could turn around, a snapping of a branch sounded on his right. Evillustrator stopped, not knowing which sound to investigate first. He chose the latter and flung his pen at the sound.

Black Cat crouched behind a rock and the rock turned 2D. He immediately slid away to a new hiding spot. His goal wasn't to get his pen or escape from the akuma, he had to make sure Evillustrator used up all the energy in his pen. Using the same method, he dodged Evillustrator's attacks and the akuma gritted his teeth in frustration. But yet, he continued to throw the pen at Black Cat, his tactic never changing.

Black Cat threw himself behind a bush and sneakily looked up at the trees. _It's almost time._

Ladybug had concealed herself in the leaves of a tree, and she could only rely on her partner to distract Evillustrator and not let him see her. She gripped her yoyo in one hand, her Lucky Charm in another. Ladybug had to admit it was a bit scary to see Black Cat being so close to danger, but she was confident in his abilities, secretly cheering every time Evillustrator's pen missed the superhero. She supposed that bit of protectiveness was normal.

Black Cat kept his eyes fixed on the blue gauge on the pen. It kept on lowering and lowering until it was on the verge of becoming empty. Abandoning his strategy of hiding, Black Cat flashed Ladybug a quick salute and he charged for Evillustrator.

Surprised, Evillustrator stumbled backwards, and threw his pen. It hit a leaf above Black Cat's head, and both boys' eyes widened when they saw the blue completely leave the gauge. It was only then when Evillustrator realized he was lured into a trap. But alas, he was too late.

Above them, among the trees, yoyo strings criss-crossed into a net, and Ladybug leapt out of a tree and opened the umbrella, her figure covering the sun. The umbrella landed on the net, its handle poking through, and the shadow covering Evillustrator and his pen, so he wasn't able to charge his pen. The panicked akuma tried to go in another direction, but Black Cat was already waiting for him.

He knocked the pen out of the akuma's hand and crushed his foot on it. The akuma fluttered out, and Ladybug leapt down from her perch on the tree. She quickly purified the akuma and used Miraculous Ladybug, so everything was back to normal.

Ladybug and Black Cat looked up at the glowing, flying swarm of ladybugs with satisfied smiles. Without even looking at each other, they did their usual fist bump.

The purple magic melted off Sugaya and the confused boy looked up, surprised to find himself in the woods. He saw Ladybug and Black Cat, and he slapped a hand to his forehead. "Damn the akumas," he muttered.

"You need a lift out of here?" Black Cat leaned against his baton.

Sugaya waved his hand, not wanting to bother the superheroes further. "I'm fine. I'll somehow find my way back-" he slammed into a tree, which emitted a quiet "ouch" from him.

Silence.

Ladybug and Black Cat exchanged a look, and in silent agreement, they picked Sugaya up and leapt towards the 3-E building, despite the boy's protests.

Most of the students had gathered in front of the building, clapping when they saw Sugaya and the heroes appear.

"Sugaya! You're back!" Okajima exclaimed joyfully, and the two heroes and Sugaya were somewhat relieved Okajima chose to care about his friend first instead of his idol.

"Sugaya-kun!" Aguri called as she dashed out of the building. She was visibly happy to see her student.

"I'm really sorry, Yukimura-sensei!" Sugaya yelled back. "And thank you for actually caring about me!"

"It's not your fault!" Aguri replied. "And it's a teacher's job to watch out for their students."

Everybody in 3-E felt grateful for her. Good teachers were hard to find, especially when they were in a famous cram school where grades were everything.

"Hey, so we don't get a free ride from the superheroes," Nakamura joked as she joined the students praising their superheroes. She casually twisted a strand of blonde hair around and brushed a stray leaf off her dress.

"Nagisa!" Sugino was glad to see his best friend walking behind Nakamura, both of them having emerged from the woods. "What happened to you?'

"I hid the forest," Nagisa shot Nakamura a quick look. "I met up with Nakamura-san after the akuma was defeated, and we found our way out."

Meanwhile, Maehara confidently sidled up to Ladybug, a charming smirk on his face. _Here we go again,_ Ladybug thought, seeing Okano's frustrated expression behind him. But before Maehara could even utter a word, Okajima pulled him back by the shoulder and hissed, "Hey! D-don't bother her! She's totally not into playboys like you!" A little red flush appeared on Okajima's face because he was being so close to his crush.

 _That's actually respectful of him,_ Ladybug marvelled as Okajima stepped back, trying hard not to look at her. She originally thought he was jealous because Maehara had wanted to flirt with her, but Okajima hadn't made a move on her after Maehara went away.

A beep sounded from her earrings, and Ladybug's hand flew to them. "Two dots left. We should leave," Black Cat said and gently touched her wrist to beckon her over. Nakamura and Fuwa made an annoying ooohing sound upon seeing them.

As they got closer, Black Cat leaned down and whispered, "Please don't sacrifice yourself for me again. I'm not worth it."

Ladybug's lips parted in surprise, but before she could reply, Black Cat was already leaving. A slight frown on her face, she said goodbye to the civilians and hopped away to detransform. But there was one thing that reverberated through her mind, like the sound of a bell becoming louder and louder when it echoes in a small room.

 _I'm not worth it._

What made he think like that?

* * *

After the akuma attack, Aguri decided to give them some free time before continuing their lessons. Sugaya apologized to the class for causing trouble, and they all said they didn't mind.

"Hey, Chiba, did I attack you?" Sugaya suddenly asked.

"Well, not really."

"That's a shame," Sugaya said but he still smiled. "I really want to see your eyes…"

Chiba self-consciously tugged his bangs over his eyes again. _That topic again._

"But I know you'll never let me," Sugaya continued. "So I'll just sit here and wonder about it."

Meanwhile, Mimura had picked up the piece of paper Sugaya had drawn on. He completely ignored Sugaya's low marks, and focused on the wave drawing.

"This is really cool, Sugaya-kun," Mimura praised as he approached Sugaya. "Ah, thank you," he replied, a little sheepish that everyone suddenly began to compliment his art.

"Nakamura, what had happened to you?" Hayami asked. "I couldn't see you at all."

"The same can be said for you," Nakamura continued to twirl her hair. Hayami found that a bit weird, as Nakamura usually didn't do that. "Well, I hid the forest but the akuma found me anyway, and I got turned into… art or whatever you like to call it. When Ladybug revived everything, I turned back to normal, stumbled upon Nagisa-kun, and went back here. How about you?"

"I hid around the building," Hayami lied. "After the initial attack in the classroom, I figured the akuma wouldn't come back. And is there something wrong with your hair?"

"Oh," the girl ran her finger through her hair again. "Nothing."

But if Nakamura was honest, the fact that Sugaya knew she dyed her hair was bothering her a bit. Nakamura didn't like the brown she was born with. It was too simple, and well, _boring._ She had dyed her hair blonde once she started going to middle school, and she liked it way better. It symbolized her rebellious and bold self instead of her elementary school genius self.

And no one, not even the observant Hayami, noticed her hair was dyed. But somehow Sugaya did. Maybe his art skills extended to hair styling skills?

None of it mattered anyway. Nakamura gave a flippant toss of her hair. Blonde hair or brown hair, she was still her. The confident, sassy, bold girl everyone had grown accustomed to, and the person she had chosen to accept.

* * *

"One of my students was akumatized today," she said softly. "He's very talented at art, but he thinks nobody appreciates his skills."

"Well, this society does think art is rather impractical," he thought out loud, blunting expressing his opinions. His companion glared at him. "What?"

"You'll really hurt him if you say that to his face," she scolded him lightly.

He marvelled at how much closer they had grown ever since they met almost a year ago. At first, she didn't talk, let alone reprimand him.

He stroked his chin, and continued, "But art has a lot of potential. Creativity can greatly help the society. We need fresh, new ideas from youngsters."

"That's right, but unfortunately, not everyone thinks the same way you do," she sighed. "I do wish I can be more capable though, because he still got akumatized even though I had tried to comfort him."

Silence fell over the duo. Through their conversations, he could see she was a passionate teacher filled with care for her students. "You're not a bad teacher," he replied.

She sheepishly scratched her head. "Unlike you, I'm not very smart or knowledgable. You know," she grinned at him. "You'll be a fine teacher. You know so many things, it's almost like you're several people rolled into one."

"But that ended badly," he muttered, recalling how his first student had betrayed him.

"I do wish the students have a good teacher to look after them after I'm gone," she whispered, hiding her face in her clipboard.

"Hmm? What was that?" he asked, even though he had heard every word.

"N-nothing," she stammered, not willing to reveal more.

 _A teacher…_ The man recalled the days when his ex-student eagerly learned everything from him. He wondered what had gone wrong in his education that made him turn his back. Perhaps he hadn't acknowledged him enough, like how the society ignored the young artist.

The door suddenly opened and through the transparent wall, he saw another man yelling at the woman. A frown appeared on the patient's face, and he scrunched his fingers into a fist. She quickly bowed her head and exited, sending him a last look before she did so.

 _Can I… be a good teacher?_

* * *

"What did you mean by that?"

That was first thing Ladybug asked the moment she met up with Black Cat for their night patrol. Her eyes were slightly narrowed, but she wasn't mad. Well, at least not _yet_.

By "that", Black Cat assumed she was talking about his "I'm not worth it" statement. His tail flapped uncomfortably.

"Well, you're Ladybug, and you have the power to purify akumas and erase damage. I don't. So that's why you're more important than me-"

"Wait," Ladybug cut in, eyes flashing liquid green. "I'm not more important than you. Neither of us is more important. We're a _team,_ right?"

"I-"

Ladybug continued to say, "I won't be anything without you. I'll never be able to defeat akumas if you're not here. So even though I purify akumas, I would have never been able to break the akumatized item on my own." Her expression softened. "So please don't say you're not worth it."

"Thank you for saying that," Black Cat said honestly after a pause as her words sank in.

"Geez, you're a moron if you think you're not worth it…" Ladybug muttered under her breath. Out of habit, she petted his head again and also out of habit, his cat ears sprang up.

"But I get really worried when you endanger yourself," Black Cat murmured, trying hard not to purr. Once he became accustomed to it, Ladybug's head petting was rather comfortable. Almost too comfortable for him.

"I get worried when you do that to," Ladybug stopped petting his head, knowing there had to a limit. Happiness bubbled inside her when Black Cat said he cared about both her civilian identity and her superhero identity. He couldn't possibly know who she was, and he was probably as nice to everyone else, but she still liked it.

"Well, we'll just have to protect each other," Black Cat grinned up at Ladybug, and for the hundredth time, she found herself wholly admiring both his (ridiculously cute) smile and his personality. "That's what partners do, right?"

* * *

The 13th of March was an ordinary day.

It _should_ be an ordinary day, that is.

Days had passed since the Evillustrator incident. Spring break was approaching, and the students were excited for their long-awaited rest.

Ladybug and Black Cat finished their patrol and brought some cold drinks from the vending machine. They sat on a rooftop, enjoying the silence and the dark.

The moon was big and bright, and the two superheroes admired its beauty like they always did. In the distance, a light in a building extinguished. The cool wind blew through their hair. Everything was quiet and peaceful like time itself had stopped.

And then, without warning, the moon exploded.

* * *

The man crouched next to a woman's body, his white tentacles waving in the air. He watched as her body went limp, and for the first time in quite a while, there was a gaping hole in his heart. The overwhelming feeling of loss, regret, and guilt.

 _You said… you want me to teach your students…_

The man was silent, the sound of the bomb triggering echoing in his mind. Because of his incompetence, a kind, compassionate soul had left the world. He stared at her lifeless body, and made his mind up.

 _I'll do it, Aguri. I'll be their teacher. I'll mentor them and accept their strengths and weaknesses. It's the least I can do._

He stood up, quickly wrote a note, and zoomed away at Mach speed.

He didn't see how Ladybug and Black Cat frantically searched the city for an nonexistent akuma that had caused the moon's explosion.

Nor did he see a young girl slipping through the ruins, crying for her sister who could never answer her call.

* * *

 **A/N: This super long chapter was a pain to write. I had thought of dividing it but it just doesn't feel complete when it's in two parts. So please bear with this extra long chapter.**

 **Now replies to reviews!**

 _ **Fumiko Matsubara:**_ **I feel like I'm always being cruel to Okajima because canonically he likes Hayami and that's in the way of ChibaHaya… now in this AU I feel even worse for him. You'll see why ;) And thank you so much for reviewing and I SIMPLY LOVE YOUR ART WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE YOU (okay that sounds really mushy). And seriously, if you haven't done so already, please** _ **please**_ **check out her tumblr blog** _ **fumiko-matsubara**_ **which is filled with a ton of squishy kids and it's so sweet you'll get diabetes!**

 _ **foxchick1**_ **: Thank you! I'm glad you love it!**

 _ **Autistic-Grizzly**_ **: Hmm, this story is mainly about Chiba and Hayami, so currently, I'm not adding any other miraculous holders other. Sorry to disappoint, but I did have a vague idea of writing a spinoff fic where the other kids get miraculouses. I also think Karma suits the butterfly miraculous well.**

 _ **Brindlstorm**_ **: Hey, thanks! And yes, they will continue to assassinate Korosensei, and he will still be their teacher.**

 _ **KumihoSei:**_ **Thank you! I really like it when silent readers review, but don't feel pressured to review every chapter!**

 _ **DreamDuelist:**_ **While I do headcanon Chiba and Hayami being good at music, they might not actually sing together… but the idea of them in the opening is too attractive lol. Knowing Chiba, he would probably make a slightly punk version of it (or not so slightly). And I can picture them during the part where Marinette and Adrien cross over to find the other's identity. It's super cute. For that part about Chiba's staff skills, I didn't plan to make that his specialty, but maybe if the chance arises I'll insert a cameo about it.**

 _ **Guest**_ **: Thank you for the comment! I actually get pretty afraid that Chiba and Hayami are being a bit OOC.**

 **Also, I'm hosting ChibaHaya Week 2018 from the 12th of July to the 18th of July. I have only received a few prompts so far so maybe you can submit some? Thanks!**

 **There are so many implications of relationships in this chapter ;) And I think some of you saw Sugaya's akuma coming because Nathaniel's also an artist and he was akumatized into Evillustrator too.**

 **I also kind of messed up Sugaya's backstory. Canonically, he drew a huge wave on the blackboard and drew an elaborate drawing on the other side of his test paper, but I forgot to use references and made Sugaya draw the heroes on the blackboard and the wave on his test.**

 **And if you watched Ep 13 of Season 2, you'll know that a scene in this chapter was inspired by the episode :)**

 **Thanks for reading! Please review! :D**


	12. Burdened

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.**

* * *

 **IMPORTANT A/N:** _ **Hawkmoth's name is changed to Kochou**_ **(** **蝴蝶** **or "butterfly" in Japanese). His akumas now call him "Kochou-sama". I've changed his name in all the previous chapters. Sorry for the confusion, I'll explain further below.**

* * *

Ladybug had been in burning buildings, broken swimming pools and an abandoned construction site for akuma fighting. She had given interviews at parks. She had dodged falling debris on the streets.

But she had never given an official report at the local TV station.

Ladybug's hands fidgeted with a piece of paper nervously. Next to her, Black Cat remained still, but the frantic swishing of his fake tail betrayed his true feelings. In a fit of nervousness, the boy had rambled about how TV stations were purposely made complicated so it would take terrorists longer to reach the broadcast room, and therefore harder for them to control the station. Ladybug had been impressed with his knowledge on construction and archiculture, but they forced themselves to return to their focus.

After the explosion of the moon, the public demanded a scientific explanation. When the government failed to give them that, the public turned to supernatural reasons. Kunigigaoka Town was the only place that had frequent and genuine "supernatural" incidents, or locally known as akuma attacks. The humble town of Kunigigaoka became an overnight sensation with its akumas and superheroes, and people flocked there in search for answers.

Ladybug and Black Cat had searched and searched for an akuma the night the moon exploded, but they couldn't find one. The next morning, the general fear and unease of the public brought upon two new akumas, but none of them were linked to the moon's explosion. Shortly afterwards the double akuma attacks, Kochou sent out butterflies in the shape of his face and claimed he did not blow the moon up. He said that his only intention was to get the miraculouses. Nobody really believed in Kochou, but so far, there had been no evidence that Kochou was responsible for the moon incident. Therefore, the reason for the moon exploding remained a mystery.

The country, no, the _world_ , highly looked up to the superhero duo, the only known real magical figures of justice. They believed Ladybug and Black Cat could restore the moon in due time but when they failed to do so, public distrust grew. Ladybug had even performed her Miraculous Ladybug power in hopes that it could remove the damage, but the moon was not repaired.

A building near Kunigigaoka Town had also exploded shortly after the moon did, killing several people. However, Ladybug and Black Cat were unable to investigate further into the case, so they deemed it as not related to the moon.

After a week of constant searching and brainstorming, the duo decided to openly broadcast their findings at a TV station.

Ladybug looked down at her script she and her partner had prepared. Nausea rose in her stomach but she forced it down. It was absolutely terrifying that the entire world would have their eyes and her and Black Cat. Translators had been recruited and the broadcast was scheduled to go live around the globe. And then couldn't even find something worth mentioning.

Black Cat wasn't feeling much better. His fingers stiffly grasped his script and the words seemed to float off the paper. But his stage fright wasn't the only thing bothering him.

Funnily enough, Black Cat recalled that the government did not offer much support. Perhaps they had something to hide, but he wasn't one to spread rumours and conspiracies publicly. But still he felt uneasy. He decided to talk to Ladybug about it after the broadcast, as it wouldn't do her good to worry her at the moment.

"It's almost time," the producer went towards their seats and announced. The duo gave a curt nod as a reply.

"I feel like we're going to be huge disappointments," Black Cat muttered in Ladybug's ear. "After all, we didn't find anything."

"Perhaps it's not related to us at all," Ladybug suggested. "Not everything can be solved by our powers, and not every problem is caused by Kochou." She sighed and pushed her bangs from her face. "But everyone's relying on us."

"And we'll be talking to the whole _world_ ," Black Cat shivered at the thought. It was a huge hurdle for a socially awkward person like him to cross. It was already difficult for him to talk to a single classmate, but now he had to talk to people across the globe. It was making him physically ill.

"We can do it," Ladybug murmured, half to herself, half to Black Cat. "We _have_ to do it."

"We'll be on air in ten seconds!" the producer exclaimed. "Positions ready!"

Black Cat and Ladybug exchanged a grim look, before they turned to face the camera in unison.

 _It's okay,_ Black Cat tried to soothe himself. _It's just talking to a camera. It's like discussing theories with Ladybug. No one will mind if you make a tiny mistake._ But still he felt his nerves rising meteorically, and he was scared he would actually be frozen with fear on screen.

"Five… four…"

He suddenly felt a warm, smaller hand clutch his briefly. Without looking, he knew it was Ladybug. She must have noticed how he felt, and was trying to reassure him. Black Cat looked at her from his peripheral vision, and he could see a hint of a smile on her face.

 _She's trying to help me even though she's also frightened,_ Black Cat thought. He instinctively smiled back even though he didn't feel good at all.

"Three… two…"

 _This is it. We're facing the world. No turning back._

"One."

* * *

After the broadcast, Ladybug's mind was still in a daze. She quietly went to the water dispenser and drank a full cup of water. Black Cat did the same, too tired from their speech to even speak to each other.

A few minutes later, Black Cat murmured, "I want to talk to you about something."

Ladybug was surprised, but upon seeing the urgency in his expression, nodded.

"I think the government knows something we don't," Black Cat whispered. "They should at least give us some intel or send some special troops to help us, but they didn't. They also keep on avoiding our questions."

"This is no laughing matter, Black Cat," Ladybug replied. "I know we're superheroes, but our life isn't a superhero movie where the government is always an evil mastermind. But now you mention it… it _does_ seem a little weird."

"I know," Black Cat turned around and saw an unfamiliar man walk towards them, a few others following him. The stern expression the man had and the suits he and his subordinates wore gave out an aura of authority and importance.

The man strode towards them and bowed twice to each of them. "Good afternoon, Ladybug, Black Cat. I am Karasuma from the Ministry of Defence of Japan," he took out an identification card. "We represent the government, and," a red glint appeared in his eyes, "we would like speak with you. Are you free at the moment?"

"Good afternoon, Karasuma-san," Black Cat and Ladybug bowed in unison, both of them feeling a bit intimidated by the man's piercing stare and build. Black Cat gave Ladybug a look as if to say "see, the government _does_ knows something". Karasuma took their silence as a sign that they were indeed free.

"Let's talk outside," Karasuma said, which was code for the two heroes to follow him. When they exited the TV station, a car with tinted windows was waiting for them.

Ladybug and Black Cat looked at each other again. Karasuma briefly wondered if they could communicate via eye contact. After a moment of pause, Ladybug awkwardly stepped into the car, Black Cat following suit.

"We are going to a top-secret facility," Karasuma stared hard at them. "We trust you not to tell anyone, including your family and friends."

 _Okay. This is serious business._ Black Cat prepared himself for what he might see. A secret zombie apocalypse? A mutant person? Or another superhero like the ones in Sonic Ninja?

The entire ride was silent, and Karasuma used his chance to observe the two superheroes.

 _They're middle school teenagers, no doubt about that._ Personally, Karasuma wouldn't let teenagers be superheroes due to their inexperience, but from what he'd heard, these two seemed to doing fine. Besides, he knew a class of ordinary middle school students would have to achieve something virtually impossible in the coming year…

 _They're probably serious and quiet. Responsible, perhaps. Not used to crowds._ Karasuma listed the things he knew about them. _So far, they seem mature for their age. They make good workers._ Karasuma found himself approving them. It must be tough, dealing with school work and what they call "akumas". And now they had to keep an eye out for the mysterious creature that would be roaming their neighbourhood.

"Sorry for withholding the information about the moon's explosion, but you must understand it may cause public hysteria," Karasuma explained once they had reached their destination. "Once again, you must not tell anyone what you will see."

Ladybug gulped in anticipation. She was more of an independent person, but at that moment, she was eternally grateful that she had a partner. A partner she could discuss stuff with, including whatever the government was hiding.

They walked through several security procedures. One guard wanted to confiscate Black Cat's baton, but a few sharp glares from Karasuma later, Black Cat was allowed to keep his weapon. The hero was in awe yet afraid of the power Karasuma had.

"Recently, we've discovered an unidentified creature that claims it was responsible for the moon incident." Karasuma went to the main point once the trio reached the final chamber. "It is very powerful and can reach up to a speed of Mach 20. It cannot be damaged by bullets; we had to specially invent a material that could damage it."

 _Mach 1 is the speed of sound!_ Black Cat inwardly gasped in horror. A feeling of dread settled inside him. _Just how fast is this creature?_

"Most importantly, it says it will blow up the world, _our_ world, a year from now," Karasuma stated bluntly. "The way the moon did."

Ladybug and Black Cat stared at each other, their eyes wide with shock and fear. Everything they had, everyone they knew was going to disappear in a _year_? By a superhuman monster? This was even worse than Kochou!

Black Cat didn't want to believe it, but this was coming from a government official. He would have no reason to fool them. Still, the idea was ridiculous. Had he somehow landed in an actual superhero movie about defeating the bad guy who could destroy the world?

"I-is there a way to stop it?" Ladybug managed to say. Secretly, Karasuma was impressed by how Ladybug's concerns were of solutions instead of freaking out about the world ending. Karasuma had to admit he liked these two and their composure.

"I believe you would like to see the creature for yourselves first," Karasuma replied shortly, and pressed a button on a wall. The metal plates in front of the trio began to rise, revealing a transparent wall behind it.

Automatically, Ladybug and Black Cat readied their weapons. Their hearts felt like they were about to jump out of the chests, while their eyes trained on the rising metal plates.

The duo expected to see a terrifying, Godzilla-like creature with impermeable skin and sharp claws.

Surprisingly, they saw that the creature had long yellow tentacles and had an extremely round smiley face as its head. It was dressed it what looked like a robe with a graduation hat. It waggled its tentacles around and gave a huge smile.

It didn't look very strong or powerful. It just looked like a silly, squishy octopus.

Upon seeing the flabbergasted heroes, the creature gave a loud, shrill shriek which shocked Black Cat so much he nearly dropped his baton. The creature rapidly changed its clothes in a few seconds and then screamed, "OH MY GOD! IT'S LADYBUG AND BLACK CAT! I AM A HUGE FAN!"

Whatever the heroes was expecting, it was certainly not _that._

"I've heard so much about you!" the creature gushed, its face turning from yellow to pink. "I-I even created my own merchandise!" The creature flailed around, showing off the hand-sewn sweater it was wearing, which had a ladybug and a paw print pattern on it. "See? I spent so much time doing that!"

"Look at this beanie!" the creature continued to proclaim, and prodded at the woolen item on its head. "It even has cat ears! And I'd sewn little ladybugs on it!"

Ladybug and Black Cat didn't have time to react to this absurd creature and its fascination with them. They could only look blankly.

"And also," the creature took out a small book from apparently nowhere. "I CREATED MY OWN FAN MANGA ABOUT YOU TWO!" It quickly flipped through the pages and they saw simplistic drawings of Ladybug, Black Cat and the akumas. "I've named it Meowraculous Ladybug: Tales of Ladybug and Black Cat! THIS IS MY FAVOURITE SCENE!"

A highly detailed two page spread of a blushing Ladybug receiving a rose from Black Cat was revealed. There were even bubbles and sparkles like in a shojou manga. Karasuma, Ladybug and Black Cat remained poker-faced. The creature was evidently upset at their lack of reaction.

"You know, I even have cosplay of you two!" the creature grinned. Another creature same as the first one appeared out of thin air.

"That's just its after image. It uses its high speed to do that," Karasuma explained to the two teenagers.

One of the creature's image was dressed in a polka dot costume, mask and pigtail wig like Ladybug's, while the other was dressed in Black Cat's suit, complete with his mask, hair and cat ears.

"Lucky Charm!" the image of the creature yelled in a high pitched voice, and it flung its makeshift yoyo up to mimic Ladybug's pose.

"I don't sound like that," the real Ladybug found herself saying.

"Cataclysm!" the other image growled in a deep voice.

"I also don't sound like that," a baffled Black Cat said.

Karasuma, Ladybug and Black Cat could only watch as the images of the creature pretended to fight against some invisible enemy. The creature made its two images do the customary fistbump, and then the images merged. The creature returned to normal, or as normal it could be, with its yellow skin and graduation robe.

"Ahh, I can't believe I'm finally meeting you two in person! The superheroes that defend this town! What an honour!" the creature gave a big smile.

Black Cat and Ladybug stared at this creature that was supposed to destroy the world. And it was a mega fan of them?

"So. You will blow the Earth up," Ladybug stated, trying to act like the creature's earlier display hadn't happened.

Green stripes appeared on the creature's skin and it gave a funny laugh. "Nurufufufu! Yes, that's the case, unless someone manages to kill me. But that's virtually impossible."

"We are revealing this creature's existence to you because firstly, it is the reason for the moon's explosion," Karasuma crossed his arms, clearly unamused by the creature's antics.

"Secondly...?" Black Cat prompted.

Karasuma sighed. "Secondly, we had made a deal with the creature. It will be the homeroom teacher of Kunigigaoka Middle School's class 3-E in the following term, and that certain class will have to assassinate it within a year, or else it will blow up the world. As the protectors of Kunigigaoka Town, I assume you would want to know."

It felt like someone had high-fived the heroes' faces. With a chair. Twenty chairs.

 _That's my class!_ Ladybug and Black Cat thought in unison, but of course they didn't know they were thinking of the same thing.

 _Crap! We have to kill this thing that could destroy the world? Why us? We're the End Class!_ Black Cat screamed in his mind.

 _It's going to be our teacher? We have to kill it? 3-E as assassins?! No way!_ Ladybug reacted similarly to her partner.

"I-isn't it unreasonable to choose middle school students to kill it?" Black Cat stuttered, clearly horrified.

 _I should be the one saying that,_ Ladybug thought. _At least Black Cat's not in 3-E. He doesn't have this problem._ She noticed that no one in her class seemed to look like Black Cat so she presumed he was studying somewhere else.

"The creature is oddly insistent on teaching that particular class," Karasuma replied with a stoic face. In reality, he also found it puzzling, but he assumed the creature thought middle schoolers would be unable to kill it so it could keep its life.

"What if it tries to hurt us… _them_?" Ladybug quickly amended her mistake.

"It will not harm the students. This is also part of the deal."

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of them," the creature's beady eyes glinted almost maliciously, and both of the heroes felt a shiver down their spines. They were suddenly afraid this superhuman creature would discover their identities.

"Also, I won't try to steal your miraculouses. I'm not working for Kochou," the creature stated simply. Its face turned pink again as it sighed, "Why would I ever steal from my idols?"

 _Yeah, because that sounds very trustworthy,_ Ladybug thought with a deadpan expression.

"But I can smell you from over here even with that wall," the creature drawled and jabbed a wiggly arm at a cluster of small holes on the wall that was used for verbal communication. "I wonder… do you smell the same when you're not transformed?"

"It has an acute sense of smell," Karasuma murmured.

Ladybug instinctively stepped back, fearful eyes roaming across the creature. It didn't just have super speed, but it also had a super sense of smell? How could they even protect their identities?

"Wait," Black Cat stared at his ring and wondered what would happen if he used Cataclysm on a living being. "Can we help with the assassination?"

Karasuma pressed the button on the wall and the metal plates began to lower, which sent the creature in a flurry. "W-wait Karasuma-san! Now that the shock has settled in, I have so much to ask them! P-please, I'm begging you, let me see them longer-"

Karasuma downright ignored the creature and gestured for the two to follow him. "We'll talk in another room."

The trio walked down a corridor, their footsteps echoing. They rounded a bend and entered an almost empty room, the only objects being a table and several crates. Black Cat noted that the room was soundproof. He remembered how his club had once booked a similar room and he had a terrific time rocking out an electric guitar.

"You two have special powers that can aid us in killing the creature. Especially Black Cat's Cataclysm. Can it destroy the creature?" Karasuma asked.

Black Cat swallowed. Starting from his first day of being a hero, he knew the grave consequences of using Cataclysm on akumas and humans. "I've never used it to kill anyone, but I assume it works."

A hint of a smile appeared on Karasuma's face. "Good. We'll be relying on you two as a last resort. Right now, we'll be training the students to reach their full potential as assassins," he said and took out a crate. He opened the crate and the heroes saw it was full of green, rubber knives.

"This specially created knife," Karasuma brandished one of them, "can cut through the creature as if it is tofu. Please get a few of these for defense purposes. We also have guns and bullets made out of the same material, but you may prefer knives. No offence, but I believe you do not have a lot of experience in handling guns."

Black Cat thought of the days when he owned a Nerf gun and used to shoot at his siblings for fun. _Nope, that doesn't count._

"Also," Karasuma turned to them. "Would you like us to enroll you into that 3-E as transfer students? Judging from your capabilities, you have potential to become assassins."

Both of them gulped nervously. They were already in 3-E, so it would be disastrous if the government wanted their superhero selves to enroll too. But they couldn't just tell Karasuma about their identities.

"Umm, sorry, but I refuse the offer," Black Cat was the first to speak. "I'm… I'm a superhero, not an assassin. I'm not qualified."

"Same," Ladybug added quietly. "I… don't think I'm capable. We can only fight akumas."

Karasuma gave them a hard, serious look that was strangely filled with a bit of respect and pity. "It must be too difficult for you two to juggle the lives of a student, a superhero, and an assassin. Well, it's getting late, so we'll be taking you back. Remember not to tell anyone about this."

They both nodded solemnly and Karasuma escorted them out of the building. They barely had a chance to look at their surroundings before they were ushered into the car again.

Ladybug's mind was bursting with possibilities. What if the creature was secretly in league in Kochou? It could snatch their miraculous away at Mach speed and they would be completely helpless. And her classmates and her would have to be assassins! The sweet Kurahashi, who wouldn't harm a fly, would have to _kill_ their homeroom teacher? She would have to work with individuals like that pervert Okajima to assassinate a being that could destroy the world? How could they do it?

Another even more terrifying thought: what if they could _not_ do it? The entire world would be gone and everyone would die, and nobody would know why and it would be all their fault. Ladybug's stomach twisted; literally everyone was depending on her and her class. A bunch of inexperienced, useless idiots was the world's last hope.

Ladybug fiddled with the knife in her lap, her head feeling a little dizzy from all of the thinking. _What about Yukimura-sensei? She is our homeroom- but now she won't be teaching us because the creature will take her place. Will she be fired? It's a shame, really, because I like her._

Ladybug turned to her partner, intending to speak to him about her worries, but he was slumped against the back of his seat, his cheek pressed against a car window. Something pulled at Ladybug's heartstrings; he looked so peaceful when he was asleep, but she couldn't talk with him at the moment, so she had to keep her thoughts to herself. Black Cat was probably exhausted by the events of the day, so she shouldn't wake him up. That would be extremely selfish of her.

But the problem was, Ladybug felt like she was almost going crazy from her concerns and negative thoughts. The girl was reminded that Tikki told her it wasn't healthy to worry all the time. She needed a break from everything she had discovered that day. Ladybug took a deep breath and massaged her forehead. _Think happy thoughts think happy thoughts-_

Her best friend was currently asleep. Her other best friend was currently part of her superhero suit. Her other _other_ best friend Nakamura knew nothing about the creature yet. Ladybug shut her eyes tightly. She felt like a small boat struggling to keep afloat in an ocean of troubles. It was just her.

 _Or was it?_

Ladybug usually didn't let herself daydream due to its impracticability, but now it seemed like the ideal getaway from reality and a way to de-stress.

What if Black Cat joined 3-E? They would have to work together to kill the creature, so she wouldn't be alone. He wouldn't be staying in his suit all the time, so she would probably know his civilian identity. Would their real selves get along? Would he find out she was Ladybug?

What did he look like under the mask? His yellow-green cat-like eyes were probably fake, so what kind of real eyes did he have? Was he as cute as he was in civilian form?

Who would he be friends with? With the popular boys like Isogai and Maehara? Or with the quieter boys like Mimura and Sugaya (she did not want him and Okajima to interact)? He mentioned he was good at math, but what other subjects did he like?

Butterflies fluttered inside Ladybug's stomach. The idea of spending her school days with Black Cat (or his civilian form) was quite attractive and it made her heart go fuzzy. It wasn't just because she had a crush on him (although that was a big factor), but he was her partner, one of the few people she felt comfortable with. She would feel better at school if he was around. Ladybug smiled secretly inside when she thought of doing projects and eating lunches with him. At day, they would be students, and at night, they would be superheroes and they would patrol the town. It seemed like the ideal life if they didn't have to be assassins and there wasn't this huge threat looming ahead.

The subtle bumps and shifts of the ride was beginning to lure Ladybug into dreamland. Before long, she too was asleep, her slumbering body leaning towards her side of car.

There was an empty space between the young heroes as they slept.

Perhaps, one day, the distance between them would diminish.

* * *

During their nightly patrol, Black Cat and Ladybug were less tired than usual due to their little nap in the car, but that wasn't the only thing keeping them up.

After they returned to their respective homes, they had continued to text each other using the Ladyblog. Neither of them were great theorists, so they decided to talk about the practical problems. How the creature was extremely dangerous. How their identities could be revealed at any second. And consequently, how their family and friends could be in danger.

When they finally met on top of the town library, they were tired of talking about the creature. But there was a sober aura surrounding them.

The earth could end a year from now.

And it would be their fault if they couldn't kill the creature.

Black Cat stared at his clenched fist, and was reminded of the unique power he possessed. There was no way for him to be fast enough to touch the creature. And Black Cat didn't think he was ready to kill.

Sometimes Black Cat hoped the creature was just a crazy dinosaur, not an sentient being who seemed to be as intelligent as humans. It would be like killing an actual human. Plus, it would be his teacher…

But now, he had other things to worry about.

"Hey Ladybug."

"Yeah?"

Black Cat coughed. "This may sound a little weird, but… what do I smell like?" he asked bluntly.

A brilliant blush rose on Ladybug's cheeks and she choked. She knew it was strictly for work purposes but she still felt embarrassed.

From his expression, she could see Black Cat was similarly embarrassed. "Uh, umm, because the creature has an amazing sense of smell, we have to change how we smell," he tried to explain his weird request.

"Yeah, I know," Ladybug murmured. She steeled herself and leaned in closer to Black Cat, and it felt like red hot flames were erupting on her cheeks. She had rarely been willingly so close to him before.

 _This is awkward…_ Black Cat resisted the urge to back away and retain his personal space.

"You smell like… cheese with a bit of laundry detergent," Ladybug gave her verdict.

A roguish grin appeared on his face. "I knew it. My kwami's cheese stinks. What does yours eat again?"

"Cookies," Ladybug backed away, shifting nervously on her feet. She self-consciously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Huh, you must smell sweet," Black Cat thought out loud. Ladybug shot him a glare. He quickly waved his hands as if that could ward off her apparent anger. "S-sorry if that sounded weird," he rambled, hoping he hadn't pissed her off too much.

"But anyways…" He stepped towards Ladybug, nose tilting slightly. Every muscle in Ladybug's body tensed and suddenly she was hyper aware of everything around her. The warm, humid spring air. His breath next to her ear. Her sweaty hands inside her suit. Most of her wanted him to get away as soon as possible, but a small part wanted him to stay.

Then he moved back and that lapse ended.

"I think you do smell sweet, kind of like… sugar. And a bit like syrup." He gave a vague wave of his hands, cheeks tinted pink.

"Alright. Maybe I'll buy some perfume to cover it up," Ladybug tried to force her cheeks to return to a normal colour.

"And I'll get a new bar of soap or something," Black Cat muttered. "Maybe I'll cut my kwami's cheese rations." He could almost hear Plagg's protests within his suit.

Ladybug spun her yoyo. "Now that's taken care of, let's go."

That was one thing Black Cat liked about his partner. She didn't seem to mind his awkwardness. At least, not for long. She wouldn't dwell on the past.

"It seems a bit impossible that the creature can smell us," Black Cat said as he took the lead.

"Well, even dogs have six hundred million smell receptors, which is around fifty times the smell receptors humans have," Ladybug mentioned, remembering something her ex-teacher at the main campus had said. "And they're not superhuman creatures."

"That's cool. I won't know all that because I'm not that good with biology," Black Cat admitted. His hand brushed past his pocket, where he had put the specially made knife used for dealing with the creature.

"The creature is very dangerous. I hope that class can kill it soon," Ladybug said softly.

They both knew the burden of saving the world was resting heavily on their shoulders, but unfortunately, they could not share the problems their civilian selves had. It was too dangerous.

A beat. "Yeah, I hope so too."

* * *

At around half past eleven at night, Sugaya received a chat message from someone on pixiv. The boy blinked blearily at the screen. The message was surprisingly long and grammatically accurate. They had even taken the care to use capital letters, which they usually didn't do so.

 **Ray:** I feel like I'd been forcing you to draw stuff, y'know, the couple drawings on the Ladyblog. You don't strike me as a romantic person (no offence) sooo I kind of feel bad for pushing you. Sorry. I'll still support you no matter what you draw because you're an awesome artist. So don't feel pressured to draw what you think the fans will like, 'cause I don't think that's really fun for you…

 **Ray:** Sorry again.

 **Me:** It's ok

 **Me:** It's nice of you to care

 **Ray:** wow you're still awake?

 **Me:** It's just 11 something and it's the holidays so

 **Ray:** lmao some days i don't even sleep at all

 **Ray:** sleep is for the WEAK

 **Ray:** also umm

 **Ray:** i drew you

Then they sent a simple drawing of a bean pole with random colour splatters on it. Sugaya chuckled out loud. It looked like a kid's drawing but he appreciated it anyway.

He was happy that they said they would support him no matter what he drew. After the Evillustrator incident, his peers seemed to compliment his art whenever they had the chance. Sugaya was glad and knew they meant well, but still, it seemed a bit superficial.

His akuma wasn't well known due to it happening on the remote 3-E campus, so it wasn't possible for his internet fan to know he was akumatized into Evillustrator. So the reason for their kindness probably wasn't because of his akuma.

Or was it?

* * *

An unhappy boy dragged his feet into his room. He gloomily stared at the notice that had sent him to the depths of hell, or more commonly known as the infamous "E as in End" class. Just two weeks of being in that class was insufferable, and he longed to escape it. Unfortunately, it wasn't even possible unless his grades improved greatly.

 _Why can't I be smarter… why can't I be better… why do I fail no matter how hard I study… why can't I impress my family…_

The boy resisted the urge to tear the paper up, instead he carefully folded it into a small square. He sighed and half-heartedly took out a book and began to read it, but his attention wasn't on the book at all.

* * *

Kochou ran his thumb over a photo of Ladybug and Black Cat. He stopped and studied their expressions, so free from pain and suffering. Kochou's finger brushed past their frozen smiles and reached Ladybug's earrings, then Black Cat's ring.

" _One day, I'll get what I deserve."_

* * *

 **A/N: Regarding Hawkmoth's name change:**

 **Honestly, I had always associated Which Partner's butterfly miraculous villain with Miraculous Ladybug's Hawkmoth, so whenever I wrote about Hawkmoth/ Kochou in this fic I thought of the Hawkmoth from ML. It was partly because I was too preoccupied and excited by the love square business to come up with an original villain.**

 **Now, I've begun to properly develop Kochou and he's a tad bit different from Hawkmoth/ Gabriel.** _ **I had also rewritten some of Kochou's parts in the previous chapters (namely in chapters 1, 3, 6 and 11**_ **) so you can check it out as it may hint to his arc ;)**

* * *

 **NEWS ABOUT CHIBAHAYA WEEK 2018!**

 **It will take place from 12/7 (Hayami's birthday) to 18/7. The prompts are as follows:**

 **Day 1:** Birthday

 **Day 2:** Fear

 **Day 3:** Eyes

 **Day 4:** Date

 **Day 5:** Partners/ Practice

 **Day 6:** Music/ Dance

 **Day 7:** AU/ Bullseye

 **I'll be reblogging stuff under my tumblr blog assclass-conspiracies but you can join it here too! Fanfictions are welcome!**

* * *

 **Here's a question for my readers! Which corner of the love square do you like the most? LadyBlack, ChibaHaya, RinCat, or ChiBug (ship names by fumiko-matsubara on tumblr or Fumiko Matsubara here** _ **yes**_ **she's the one who draws the fanarts)? I personally prefer LadyBlack and that's why they appear the most lol.**

 **Also, this chapter wasn't even supposed to be a chapter, it was supposed to be a part of the next one. Well. Things happen. The next chapter will definitely feature an akuma who may or may not be based after an akuma from Miraculous Ladybug. Who do you think will be akumatized?**

 **I'm pretty sure you all know Nakamura is** ladybugxblackcat-otp **on the Ladyblog and** Ray **on pixiv. I chose the name "Ray" for her because an alternative reading of one of the kanji of her name** **莉** **is "rei" and since Nakamura seems to be really into Western culture, I made it "Ray", an English word which sounds similar to "rei".**

 **To all the Karma fans out there, I now have an idea for Karma's akuma. He won't be the next one to appear, but he'll be out eventually.**

 **Now replies to reviews! I'm super happy that a lot of you are excited for the future of this fic! (^3^** **)**

 _ **foxchick1**_ **: Oh yeah… I mean this is Korosensei we're talking about… he has his methods ;)**

 _ **Autistic-Grizzly**_ **: Thank you! Korosensei will play a bigger part coming on. I'm saving Kayano's akuma for later, plus it would kind of be in the way of her tentacle arc if she gets akumatized in the previous chapter.**

 _ **KumihoSei**_ **: Aww thanks! There will be more hurt and comfort :)))**

 _ **Guest**_ **(the one who talked about assassination skills): Thanks! I suppose their hand to hand combat will improve, but it's nowhere near, let's say, Isogai and Maehara's standards. That would be too OP. Their free running skills will also improve. And of course they'll be the sniper duo :))**

 _ **Guest**_ **(the one who has one question): Thank you so much! You're awesome too :D Love ya!**

 _ **DreamDuelist:**_ **Thank you! I'm sure a lot of your questions are answered in this chapter. Bitch-sensei will appear when it's time. As for your comment about Chiba and Hayami getting closer, I'll rather not answer… ;)**

 **Special thanks to _Fumiko Matsubara_ for giving me advice about the Hawkmoth/ Kochou name change thing!**

 **Thank you for reading! Please review! :D**


	13. The Collector

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.**

* * *

It was around six in the morning when Chiba received the news of an akuma via the Ladyblog. He always kept his phone near his bed, so if any akuma attacks happened while he was sleeping, the notifications would wake him up.

Chiba rubbed his eyes, then poked Plagg. "Get up, you floating stomach. We've got another akuma."

Plagg idly opened his eyes. "Ugghhh. It's early," he complained in his usual manner. "Lemme rest-"

"Plagg, claws out!" Chiba ordered, and the sleepy kwami was sucked into his ring without another word of protest. Black Cat took out his baton and tracked the akuma, who was apparently in one of the richer suburbs. Maybe the akumatized person had been offended by one of the rich people, and was seeking revenge.

Just yesterday, he and Ladybug had finally learned the reason for the moon's explosion. Now, Kochou had sent out another akuma. Their troubles were never ending, and it was their duty to take care of them.

Black Cat leapt out of his house into the cool morning air. Even in his hurry to defeat the akuma, Black Cat had to admit the view was nice. Wisps of mist lazily flew past him, giving the town a hazy, dreamlike texture. Black Cat spun to look at the pale pink clusters of sakura trees by the riverside. They were just starting to bloom. He wondered if he could view the flowers with Sugaya and Okajima.

He saw Ladybug a few blocks away, the redness of her suit standing out in her misty surroundings. Black Cat caught up to her. "Good morning, Ladybug."

"Good morning," Ladybug replied, and quickly stifled a yawn. "According to the blog, the akuma calls himself 'the Collector'. His most notable feature is his English-style top hat."

"Do you know what he can do?"

"No, but," Ladybug scrolled through her newsfeed, "Some people speculate the white gloves he wears has special powers. It's best if we avoid them."

"Got that," Black Cat replied.

Both Black Cat and Ladybug were nervous as they approached the suburb. They had only visited that place during their night patrols, and they were a bit afraid of the rich people living there.

Black Cat had always felt a bit weird when visiting the suburb. It didn't really fit his ideals of a modern, spacious living area. The position of the houses and the gardens felt a little odd to him. Maybe he should study urban design when he grew up.

Black Cat shook his head, frustrated at himself for his short attention span. First were the sakura trees, and now the design of the suburb. He really needed more sleep.

Ladybug was comparatively more attentive than her partner. Her eyes swept over the area. So far, nothing seemed out of place. Ladybug's attention was grasped by a big, beautiful house. However, once she read the nameplate, chills went down her spine, and her knees shook with fear.

"What's wrong?" Black Cat whispered, concerned by Ladybug's unusual behavior. He looked at the nameplate, and blood too drained from his face.

The two wide-eyed teenagers stared at the nameplate, with similar expressions of unadulterated fear.

The nameplate read _Asano._

Asano!

As in Asano Gakuho, the dreaded, terrifying chairman of his school! As in Asano Gakushuu, the supreme, ridiculously talented leader of his year!

It made perfect sense for the Asanos to live there in the rich suburbs. And suddenly, Ladybug and Black Cat wanted to disappear.

As if on cue, a crash sounded inside in the house. The heroes shared a look and deemed it worth investigating.

The moment Ladybug stepped on the perfectly paved stone path, alarms went off and metal shutters covered the windows. "Intruder, intruder," a cool female voice blasted from all sides. Ladybug retreated and instinctively grabbed Black Cat's arm. She had never seen such a high technology security system for a house. Even the lock on the door was a fingerprint one.

"What happens now?" Ladybug whispered as the neighbours of the Asanos began to stir due to the loud noise. She looked up at Black Cat, then down at his arm, and let his arm go. "Sorry for that," she muttered quickly.

The door opened and even at the distance, the heroes could feel the fear-inducing, suffocating aura. They mentally braced themselves for what was about to come-

"Good morning," Asano Gakuho greeted them, well dressed and his hair well combed despite the time. Even though the words were polite and simple, they felt like heavy weights crushing Ladybug and Black Cat.

"Good morning," the heroes chorsed in unison and gave stiff bows.

"The akuma isn't here," Gakuho said as if knew what the heroes were thinking. "That crash you heard was an unfortunate accident during breakfast that Asano-kun had caused." At that, Gakuho's purple eyes seemed to glow. "He still has a lot to learn."

 _What kind of dad calls his son using his surname?!_ Black Cat exclaimed internally.

"S-sir, we're sorry for bothering you," Ladybug bowed again, suddenly feeling very small despite her superhero identity. She suddenly caught sight of a mysterious someone lurking around the house, and her hand slid to her yoyo-

She watched in horror and amazement as Gakuho grabbed the someone's chin without even looking back. That someone was evidently the akuma, with a top hat and suit that made him look like a walking anachronism. True to the Ladyblog's information, he wore pristine white gloves. The akuma struggled but Gakuho had a stronger grip.

Black Cat thought there was something familiar with the akuma's face. With a jolt, he realized the akuma was actually his classmate Takebayashi, only he hadn't worn any glasses and he'd changed his hairstyles. The vibe he gave off was also different, less gloomy and more… charismatic, if that was possible. When he wrenched free from Gakuho's grasp, his top hat fell off, revealing two hair antennae which suspiciously resembled Isogai's. Black Cat narrowed his eyes.

On first glance, the superhero duo couldn't see where the akumatized item was. Spinning their respective weapons, they pounced towards the Collector.

Another blur of orange joined in the fight. It was Gakushuu. While Gakuho was standing there as if he was lazily waiting for the akuma to attack, Gakushuu took the offensive side. He aimed a punch at the Collector and the Collector managed to intercept Gakushuu's fist with both hands. The instant they made contact, Gakushuu's eyes went wide and the life seemed to go out of him. He collapsed on the ground and his body went limp, although he was still vaguely conscious.

"Gakushuu!" Gakuho's voice was quiet and quick as he held up his son's neck.

Black Cat was focused on the Collector. While Gakushuu was weakened, the akuma seemed to grow stronger. The hair antennae on the Collector's head vanished and his hairstyle and bangs changed to look like Gakushuu's. The Collector's expression also began to look like Gakushuu's, cold green eyes narrowing and lips pressed into a smug smirk.

"I think he 'collects' other peoples' powers by touching them, and his appearance alters to match those of his victims!" Black Cat said out loud for the benefit of Ladybug and Gakuho.

The Collector's eyes snapped to him.

 _Oh no._

Before the Collector could move, Gakuho launched at him, holding him in a firm grip. Gakuho's eyes were practically glowing with fury and bloodlust.

For a split second, Ladybug and Black Cat actually felt sorry for the Collector.

What happened next was a flurry of hair, skin and clothes and Gakuho somehow dragged the akuma inside his house. Ladybug and Black Cat couldn't process Gakuho's complex fighting methods and they could just stand there. Once the akuma and Gakuho vanished inside the house, the door clanged shut.

Seeing the windows were covered by metal plates and the door used a fingerprint lock, Black Cat decided to destroy the door to create an entrance. "Cataclysm!" he cried and the door broke down into black dust. A warning beep came from his ring. "We'd better finish this quickly."

Inside the house, Gakuho and his wife (who would be called Mama Asano for clarity) were engaging in close combat with the akuma. Gakuho was clearly the more skilled one when it came to fighting, but Mama Asano wasn't bad either, as she aimed blows at the akuma using a frying pan.

Now that the Collector had absorbed Gakushuu's powers, he'd become way more powerful. A purple mask appeared on his face as Kochou communicated with him. A smirk appeared on the Collector's face and his target abruptly switched from Gakuho to Ladybug. Kochou probably had enough of the Collector playing around instead of stealing the miraculouses.

And Ladybug knew why she was being targeted. She alone had the ability to cleanse akumas. If that power was taken from her, the situation would be high complicated. Ladybug wouldn't say it was impossible for her and Black Cat to win, but it would be tough.

Black Cat's eyes met Ladybug's and during that second, he somehow knew what she was thinking. And she knew he would protect her at all costs.

"Can you see the akumatized item?" Ladybug shouted to her partner, leaping from furniture to furniture to avoid the Collector.

"No, I believe it's hidden in his suit!" Black Cat yelled as he dashed towards to Ladybug to protect her. "We have to do a full body search." A chill ran down his spine and Black Cat automatically jumped to the side. Gakuho, as swift as the wind, sped past him, Black Cat's hair fluttering from the movement. His wide green eyes stared at the superhuman monster that was the chairman of his school.

What was even more terrifying than the thought of Ladybug losing her powers was Gakuho himself. There was a certain elegance and dignity to his fighting as Gakuho duled with the Collector. It was almost captivating to watch him fight, each of his moves executed perfectly and fluidly. Gakuho wasn't a person who knew a few random moves. He was a master at fighting. A professional. He was powerful and everyone knew it.

Gakuho jumped in front of Ladybug to face the akuma. He seemed to have made it his personal goal to defeat the Collector himself. "Takebayashi-kun, why do you desire power and strength?" His voice was rich and smooth, but Black Cat and Ladybug knew there was a knife hidden in it.

Ladybug spied Mama Asano behind the Collector, her hands clutching at her pan. _It's a trap,_ she realized. _He's distracting the akuma by making him talk._ She sent Black Cat a quick look, then quickly gestured at Mama Asano. He understood in a flash.

That was why Ladybug loved to work with Black Cat. In times of battle, they could communicate with each other wordlessly and effectively with eye contact.

The superhero duo flanked Gakuho and spun their weapons. The glint in Gakuho's eyes was downright terrifying the two teenagers, and they vowed to save Takebayashi as soon as they could.

"Because I don't have any strength! I wasn't born with any!" The Collector yelled, charging towards Gakuho. Gakuho flipped a table and the wooden structure crashed on the ground with an ugly bang. "I'm not smart! I'm not athletic! I'm not talented enough to impress my family! That's why I have the collect everyone else's powers! Because I'll never be enough on my own!" Anguish and emotion flickered in the Collector's eyes, but Gakuho was as cool and unemotional as ever.

The Collector leapt over the table and right into a checkered tablecloth. Ladybug yanked on her yoyo and bound the tablecloth to the Collector's arms and hands. The Collector immediately tore the cloth on his right hand with his teeth. Before he could touch Gakuho, Black Cat's baton struck his hand. The Collector grabbed Ladybug's yoyo, which was conveniently at his wrist, and untangled himself. The Collector's left hand was still covered by the cloth, and Gakuho took advantage of that. He grabbed the akuma's clothed fist tightly and sent him flying across the room as if he was a paper airplane. The akuma crashed into an expensive-looking display of exquisite dishes, and Black Cat winced at the noise.

 _Hmm, so if there's something covering the akuma's hands, his powers don't work._ Black Cat kept that bit of information in his brain. He watched as Ladybug sprang into action, pigtails flying as she tried to hit the akuma. They were aiming to knock the Collector out. If the akuma was unconscious, they could search his body for the akumatized item. Mama Asano, who wore a paper bag to cover her head, leapt out from her hiding place and smacked the akuma's head with a frying pan. Gakuho pushed the wreckage of the table to the side as if it was nothing. The man's head was held high as he silently observed the situation, an almost amused smirk on his face. Black Cat was afraid of being too close to Gakuho, so he decided to join Ladybug and Mama Asano.

Ladybug's yoyo managed to go around the Collector's leg, and she yanked hard at it, the akuma's center of gravity suddenly shifting. The Collector regained his balance spectacularly, and he also managed to rip Mama Asano's paper bag, his hand reaching inside it. Mama Asano's knees shook as the Collector absorbed her powers, and his hairstyle changed again. Black Cat scooped the powerless Mama Asano up and placed her gently on a couch. He was too busy to see whatever reaction Gakuho had.

A beep sounded from his ring, and Black Cat dipped his head to see that he only had two minutes left. "I'm almost out of time!" he yelled at his partner. Ladybug decided it was high time she tried her Lucky Charm.

"Cover me!" Ladybug cried from the other side of the room. Black Cat immediately rushed back, only to see Gakuho expertly swinging a broomstick at the Collector as it was a natural extension of his arm. He felt like a three-year-old upon seeing Gakuho. Gakuho could do everything he could do and better.

(Secretly, secretly, Black Cat liked being a superhero because it proved that he could do something useful too, but now he seemed to be standing in Gakuho's shadow.)

"Lucky Charm!" Ladybug tossed her yoyo in the air and a pair of oven mittens dropped into her hands. "Hmm."

Ladybug observed her surroundings and saw that the mittens, the Collector's hands, and her yoyo flashing. A plan crystallized in her mind. "Kitty, catch!"

The polka dotted mittens fell into Black Cat's hands and he instantly knew what Ladybug was up to. A grin lit up his face and he sped off.

He dashed around the area and in a few clever moves, he managed to pop up right besides the Collector. Before the akuma could react, Black Cat stuffed the mittens on the Collector's hands, removing the akuma's power stealing ability. At the same time, Ladybug's yoyo flew past and wrapped itself around the akuma's hands, securing the mittens. The Collector tried to free his hands by biting them again, but this time, the fabric of the mittens was too thick.

"Gotcha," Ladybug whispered, a smirk on her face. She tied the Collector up using her yoyo. He became unable to move and Black Cat patted his suit, searching for the akumatized item. He eventually came upon a little pocket with a folded piece of purple paper inside. With a sickening jolt, Black Cat realized the paper was the notice that told them they would be sent to 3-E. _Poor Takebayashi._ Black Cat ripped the paper in half and watched as the akuma fluttered into the air.

Ladybug immediately cleansed the akuma. After that, she and Black Cat each took one of the mittens and flung them in the air, their synchronized cry of "Miraculous Ladybug!" filling the room.

"Did you just call me 'kitty' again?" Black Cat asked Ladybug, looking mildly annoyed by the pet name.

Ladybug flushed. "It was a slip of mouth," she defended herself. To change the topic, she held up her hand for a fistbump.

Glowing ladybugs surrounded the Collector, and when they vanished, a very confused and distraught Takebayashi was left behind. His hairstyle was back in his usual 7:3 part, and he nervously adjusted his eyeglasses. Once he saw Gakuho's eerily calm face (which probably had a raging storm under the exterior), Takebayashi went pale and his lips quivered.

Reminded of whose house they were in, the heroes chose to make a quick exit.

"We are deeply sorry for bothering you and your household," Ladybug bowed towards Gakuho.

"You have our utmost gratitude for helping us deal with the akuma. Without you, defeating it would not have been possible," Black Cat also bowed.

They stood up in unison, fetched Takebayashi, and practically ran out from the house. Black Cat's ring gave another beep, indicating his transformation would wear away in one minute.

Takebayashi's head was bowed down humbly. "I am very sorry for the trouble," he murmured, ashamed of himself. He had wanted to be stronger, to be more talented, so his family would finally treat him as an equal, but he had screwed up in a disastrous way and had even tainted his family name. They would _never_ forgive him after this incident.

"It's not your fault," Ladybug replied automatically. "It's-"

"Kochou's fault, I know," Takebayashi finished quietly. "But you don't understand. If I had better control of my emotions, I would not have caused this mess for my family to clean up."

Everybody in Kunigigaoka Town knew of the Takebayashi General Hospital, and those who knew Takebayashi were aware of the expectations he had to carry. Takebayashi once again carried a gloomy aura with him.

"It's alright, Ladybug, Black Cat." A faint smile appeared on his face. "I know how to go back from here. Thank you very much for your assistance."

The heroes noted how he used the term "go back" instead of "go home".

After they said goodbye to Takebayashi, Black Cat looked nervously at his surroundings. Frantic, hurried beeps blared from his ring and he knew he only had seconds to act. He leapt into a dark alley and detransformed. Chiba was embarrassed to find himself still in his pyjamas, and quickly crouched behind a garbage container.

Ladybug peered into the alley and glimpsed black hair peeking out. _That must be him._ She slowly walked towards him and sat down, her back facing whoever that was her partner, that garbage container between them.

"Hey, let's go back together," Ladybug suggested. The morning excitement finally settled down and she just wanted to go home and sleep.

Chiba yawned. "I can use a coffee now," he muttered. He held up a cube of cheese in his palm and Plagg gobbled it up. "Don't look until I tell you."

The corners of Ladybug's lips quirked up. _He sounds cute even when he's sleepy._ Ladybug knew better than to spy on Black Cat. It was unthinkable due to the trust and respect between them. But a little bit of her wanted to push the garbage container away and see him for who he really was. Of course, it was an illogical and incredibly _wrong_ thought, and she probably didn't even know Black Cat's civilian self, but after her daydream about Black Cat (and his real identity) being in 3-E with her, Ladybug thought more about the boy under the mask. Who really was he?

"I'm going to detransform too," Ladybug announced. "Spots off."

There was a pregnant pause between them, the only sound being their kwamis munching food. There they were, the superheroes unmasked, sitting back to back in their pyjamas, with only a garbage container separating them.

So close, yet so far.

After they had transformed again, Black Cat's head appeared, green eyes staring almost shyly at Ladybug.

"Can we really get a coffee? I know a good place."

* * *

Several minutes later, Ladybug and Black Cat sat on the roof of a building, sipping paper cups of coffee. In his hurry to go up, Black Cat had accidentally spilled some scalding coffee on his hand. Due to the qualities of his suit, he didn't feel any pain, but when he shook his hand to get the coffee off, some of it splattered on his uncovered face, which caused quite a reaction.

"Ow!" Black Cat barked, and wiped at his cheek. The droplets of coffee went away, but the searing sensation remained.

"Silly kitty," Ladybug muttered under her breath. She held her cool yoyo to his cheek, which helped to soothe the pain. "Any better?"

"Yeah, thank you," Black Cat croaked. Despite the circumstances, Ladybug couldn't help but giggle at him.

Now, their legs dangled over the edge of the building, and they watched the colourful cars speed by under them.

"I didn't think you would be the type to drink dark coffee without any sugar or milk," Ladybug remarked.

"I like intense things," Black Cat admitted. "Besides, I'm so sleepy, I need that pure essence of caffeine."

"Is that so." Ladybug curiously peered at him over her coffee cup.

"We got busy even during the holidays," Black Cat mused after he had taken a long, luxurious sip of his coffee. Ladybug was amused to see his cat ears twitch. She instinctively reached over to pat his head.

"That's how our life is. At least we now know what happened to the moon."

"That's a small relief."

And indeed it was a small relief. Kochou was still sending akumas out there, and to top it off, a superhuman creature would destroy the Earth in a year.

Black Cat finally allowed his mind to relax and wander. He thought of the blooming sakura trees he had seen that morning. "Hey, do you want to view the flowers some time? Not now, but a few days later, when they're fully blooming."

"Ah?" Ladybug blinked, surprised. Black Cat took that was a bad sign.

"If you don't want to, it's okay, I was just asking," Black Cat quickly said.

"I was just thinking that there's going to be a crowd at the sakura trees. We will get a lot of attention."

"Not if we do that at night before patrol or something. For a short while."

A pause.

Ladybug allowed a smile to spread across her face. "That's manageable. Why do you want to see the flowers, anyway?"

Black Cat purposely drank his coffee to buy him some time to prepare an answer. "It's because… we're friends, right? And we worked hard for the moon incident, so I think we deserve a break."

Ladybug nodded. There was another silence, but it didn't feel awkward. They were just quietly enjoying their coffee.

Black Cat's comment on how they were "friends" triggered another memory in Ladybug's brain. More specifically, the time more than a month ago, at Valentine's Day, when Black Cat said she was important to him.

"Hey, did you have friends when we first met?" Ladybug asked her partner bluntly. Maybe too bluntly. She immediately added, "I'm sorry if it sounded rude."

"... Well, you are kind of my first real friend," Black Cat confessed, a soft look on his face. "I had friends before but I'm not close with them. Shortly before I met you, the new school year started and I also met a few friends, but I…" a pink hue tinted his cheeks. "I don't want to play favourites, but I like you the most."

"Oh." Ladybug's face was a brilliant red, and she felt like she had imploded with happiness. "... Thanks."

"I'm not good with making friends," Black Cat muttered. "In real life, people don't like me."

Ladybug wondered why people would dislike Black Cat. He was so honest to her, so she assumed his civilian form had the same personality as Black Cat. Sure, he might not stand out, but he was polite and respectful and responsible and nice-

"But you have a lot of fangirls when you're a superhero."

"Yeah," Black Cat distractedly put his coffee down. "I appreciate it, but it's a bit… unsettling because this isn't the real me."

Ladybug felt her heart sink, because she also had a crush on Black Cat. Did that mean she was also fooled by what he seemed like?

"Anyways, what are we going to do about 3-E's assassination mission?" Black Cat hastily changed the topic.

"I think we should help them," Ladybug said. "Our superpowers can be useful even if we don't want to be assassins. After all, this creature is threatening the world, and we are responsible for protecting people. We should do our best to stop the creature from destroying the world, so we have to help to kill him."

"Well, I think we should let the class try it out themselves. We only interfere if the safety of citizens are threatened, whether by the creature or by assassinations gone wrong. After all, it's not our job to be killers."

There was a pause as the heroes absorbed what the other had said. It wasn't often they disagreed with each other, but they could work it out.

"First thing: does our duty as superheroes include killing the creature?" Black Cat voiced out.

"Our duty is to protect the innocent. The creature will destroy the Earth and many innocent people along with it, so we should eliminate that threat," Ladybug said in a steely voice.

"That is true," Black Cat replied in a diplomatic way. Even when they argued (it was more like voicing their different thoughts and coming to a compromise peacefully), they did it a civil way. They tried to understand the other's points, so usually their arguments didn't end messily. "Our powers are indeed useful. But, as we established earlier, we are not killers. And we don't want to enroll ourselves in that class, so we won't receive proper training unlike the student assassins." _At least,_ you _won't receive training,_ Black Cat thought. _I'm secretly a part of 3-E, and I don't want to mix my superhero life with my assassin/ student life._

Ladybug stared off into the distance, thinking. "How about we only help them if the class asks us to? They are assassins, so maybe they can come with a plan that involves us and our powers. Other than that, unless innocent people are threatened, we stay out of the assassination."

Ladybug felt weird talking about 3-E and its students from a third person's point of view. After all, she was a student of 3-E, but she could not reveal that to Black Cat.

Black Cat nodded, then realized Ladybug wasn't looking in his direction. _I have to be more vocal._ "Yes, that's okay with me. Additionally, if the creature turns out to be working for Kochou, we will join in the assassination. Other than protecting citizens, our other major goal is to defeat Kochou."

"Good plan. Let's follow it."

* * *

It was four days before school would start, but the 3-E chat group was already bursting with activity. Everyone was talking about being called back to school three days before the term officially started. Most people were convinced it would be extra study sessions, but Chiba believed it was to prepare them for assassination. He wasn't very active online, but he still read the messages. Chiba, Sugaya, Okajima, and Sugaya's new friend Mimura had a chat group of their own. Chiba was slightly more active there, but the most he did was sending stickers.

 **Okajima:** Why do we have to go back… now I have less time to finish my homework…

 **Sugaya:** I would say you have to stop procrastinating, but I'm a big procrastinator too

 **Mimura:** It's too bad… Sugaya and I were planning to visit a museum tomorrow, but now we can't

 **Sugaya:** :( Don't worry Mimura, we'll find another time

 **Okajima:** Hmph, Sugaya's forgetting me…

And then he sent a sticker of a pouting character.

 **Okajima:** Hey Chiba, I know you're reading this, so send something please

Okajima was obviously frustrated that Sugaya and Mimura became best bros in such a short period of time, so he tried to talk to Chiba.

Chiba sent a sticker of a hand doing the "okay" sign.

 **Mimura:** …

 **Okajima:** behold, the class mute

 **Sugaya:** Hayami's the other class mute

 **Okajima:** they are truly soulmates

As usual, no one replied to Okajima's talk about ships.

 **Mimura:** Hey Sugaya, let's meet at the stairs tomorrow :)

 **Sugaya:** ok :))

 **Okajima:** ughhhhh third wheel me

While Chiba was looking at his phone, Plagg flew around his room in a frenzy, probably searching for some cheese. Plagg sped past Chiba's calendar, and nearly hit a flat white box on Chiba's desk.

"Oy!" Chiba barked sharply. "Be careful!"

An infuriating smirk appeared on Plagg's face. "Aww, sorry for disrupting the special VIP section for Ladybug's gifts."

"Not that. _That_!" Chiba gestured to the box. "Don't break it."

Plagg's smirk only widened. "Oooooh, kid, that protectiveness is interesting…"

Chiba grabbed a sock and flung it at Plagg's head. Plagg's small hands grabbed it and breathed in the sock as if it was a paper bag. "Eww! It's clean! Where are your dirty socks?!"

"I actually do laundry," Chiba mentioned, a strange sort of satisfaction rising inside him when he saw Plagg's disgusted look. Great, he now took pleasure from others' pain due to Plagg.

"Do girls like clean boys?"

"Can you please stop attributing everything I do to impressing females? It's getting annoying."

Plagg tossed the sock back at Chiba, who caught it with ease. "Alright. Sorry."

* * *

"It's pretty."

Ladybug looked up at sakura trees, now illuminated by the warm glow of lanterns. Stray sakura petals fluttered and danced in the wind. The flowers seemed to look even better with the lighting. The sky was a clear inky black, and everything was so quiet, so tranquil, but with the movement of the petals, a little liveliness was injected.

Ladybug was reminded of when she viewed the flowers with Nakamura, Yada, and Kurahashi earlier that day. They kept on chattering about how romantic falling sakura petals were. Nakamura in particular had mentioned a shojo anime with a lot of sakura petals. Hayami personally thought that anime had a weird storyline. What kind of girl breaks a vase and then gets recruited into a host club with a lot of hot boys?

Now, without the chatter and bustle of people, Ladybug could fully enjoy the beauty of the sakura trees. Sure, it was fun being with her friends, but now at nighttime, she had a different experience.

Ladybug spun and saw her partner admiring the flowers under a tree. He didn't have an expressive face, but she could see the look of delight and enjoyment in his eyes. Eyes were truly windows to the soul. Then her eyes wandered down to the slim box Black Cat had in his hands.

"Hello," she greeted him.

"Hello, Ladybug," he replied, tearing his eyes away from the sakura. Ladybug saw a couple of sakura petals on his head.

"You've got something there," she said, and brushed the petals off. Ladybug chuckled when she saw Black Cat's ears move. "You're just like a real cat."

"You really like cats, huh?" Black Cat allowed Ladybug to scratch his chin. He didn't know why, but it felt really good.

"Cats are cute," Ladybug replied automatically. Her face flushed. _Because he's like a cat, did I just indirectly say he's cute?_ She withdrew her hand.

"Ah." Black Cat held up a white box with a blue ribbon, and passed it to his friend. "Happy White Day! I know it was some time ago and we were busy, but I didn't forget."

"... Thank you." To be honest, Ladybug herself had forgotten about White Day. After the moon fiasco and all that followed, White Day became the least of her concerns. But it warmed her heart to see that he returned her chocolates from Valentine's Day. Ladybug didn't mind he viewed her in a platonic way, she was already thankful for such a great friend and partner. She flashed him a grin. "I like it."

Black Cat remembered it had been incredibly awkward at the convenience store. He had stood in front of the White Day display for seven minutes. A nice, young, female staff had tried to help him, but she just made Chiba want to die of embarrassment. He idly wondered if it had been the same for Ladybug when she bought him chocolates for Valentine's Day.

"I'm making a quick trip back to put them down. I'll be back in five," she said shortly.

"Alright."

Ladybug ran swiftly across the rooftops, channeling her bursting feelings using physical movement. The lights in the buildings twinkled as she flew past them.

 _It's a beautiful sight._

What if the world really would end? And no matter how hard she and her class tried, they would all die?

She would have to treasure her precious moments until the end.

Patrols with Black Cat. Booping noses with Tikki. Hanging out with Nakamura. She wasn't vocal about it, but she liked spending time with her close friends. She hoped more moments would be made.

 _Let's make this a good year._

* * *

 **A/N: The akuma is Takebayashi! Kudos to** _ **Fumiko Matsubara**_ **for the correct guess :D**

 **(Yes, the anime Nakamura mentioned is indeed Ouran High School Host Club. Kiss kiss fall in love!)**

 **I kind of realized the superhero duo had never had different opinions before, and that's unhealthy, so I added that little scene.**

 **Chiba and Hayami WILL appear next chapter, so please don't worry about the lack of them this chapter.**

 **Alright, it's been a year (!) since I started this fic, and I want to sincerely thank every one of you reading this. When I first posted this, I honestly thought no one would read this. I thought this would most likely end up as a snippet of an AU that I would never continue. But then the first reviews came, favs and follows poured in, and I wrote more and more. I know this is cheesy, but if no one had supported this fic at the beginning, Which Partner?, as it is now, won't exist.**

 **(Side note: This is by far my most popular fanfiction. Weirdly enough, this fic has humble beginnings. I wrote the first chapter on holiday while pacing around an eleven mat tatami room, and posted it while desperately clinging to my dad's WiFi.)**

 **Thank you so much for the reads, follows, favourites, reviews, and even the lovely fanarts (you know who you are XD I won't stop stanning you)! It makes my day to see your reviews, it really does :D**

 **I LOVE YOU ALL! If I could hug you all I would!**

 **As a special treat for you, I'm gonna give you a little spoiler.**

 _ **Something important**_ **will happen during the face-off with Takaoka during the Island Arc. ;)**

 **Now replies to reviews!**

 _ **foxchick1**_ **: Thank you! My first thought about Korosensei in this AU was "hey, he would totally be a fan and ship them and cosplay as them".**

 _ **Autistic-Grizzly**_ **: 1. Well, they're going to have to kill him no matter what happens. 2. I think I mentioned that Korosensei wouldn't be an akuma on one of the earlier A/Ns. 3. This chapter contains the answer :) They're good guesses though, I suppose the clue was rather ambiguous. 4. Thanks and sorry, not going to say a word about Kochou's identity now ;) 5. Thank you for always reading and reviewing! XD**

 _ **Fumiko Matsubara:**_ **AHAHA THANKS SO MUCH! Asdfghjkl I'm super glad to see that my fics help you develop your OC :D**

 _ **Guest:**_ **Thank you! Yay fellow LadyBlack fan. As for your comment on a possible identity reveal, all I can say is I have a lot planned out :)))))))))))**

 _ **DreamDuelist**_ **: Thanks! I like how your review elaborates on stuff that I haven't thought of, like the government and Korosensei's online merch market. It makes the universe more diverse, so thank you :D As for your comment on Karasuma, everyone's gotta be stupid here- Ladybug is basically Hayami with a mask on. But interesting thought.**

 **Kudos to you for going through this long A/N! ≧∇≦ Feedback and reviews are greatly appreciated!**

 **Again, thank you for reading!**


	14. It's Time

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.**

* * *

"Rinka-chi, please don't overwork yourself! Now that you have school and assassination _and_ hero work, you must learn that sacrifices are necessary!"

Hayami was packing her bag for school, which would start a few days earlier than it was supposed to. They weren't told what to bring, but got her standard stationery and notebook just in case they were told to write something down. She was pretty sure they were called back early to prepare for the assassination of the creature anyway.

"Tikki," Hayami began, then sighed. "I'm not sure what to do. How can I do everything at the same time? And I can't give up any of them."

Tikki picked up a pen and tossed it in Hayami's pencil case. "Then you'll have to reduce the time you spend on each of those three things. Maybe your daily patrols can be reduced to patrols every two days?"

"What if something happens at night and we're not around?" Hayami questioned.

Tikki gazed at Hayami with big, understanding eyes. "What if you collapse from exhaustion? That can happen too."

There was a deep silence and Hayami pinched the space between her eyebrows. "I'll consider shortening patrol," she muttered.

The kwami flew up and patted Hayami's head in a motherly way. "You know you can always rely on me for support. So do your best, but it hasn't to be _the_ best!"

A small smile quirked up on Hayami's lips. "Thanks, Tikki."

"Also, Rinka-chi, it's time to try to make some new acquaintances this year. I don't know much about assassination, but I believe teamwork is an essential part," Tikki lectured as if she was a teacher. Well technically, she _was_ Hayami's mentor.

"You're right. I have to step out of my comfort zone," Hayami mused.

"How about you try to start with Chiba?" Tikki suggested with a smile.

"Why him?"

 _Because I want to see you two married,_ Tikki thought, but she said, "You know you and Chiba-kun work well together. How about you try to extend that to a friendship?"

Hayami tapped her chin. "We're kind of friends now, but I think I can try to be closer to him in the following year."

She reached for a bottle of perfume on her desk, and placed it solidly in front of her. Kwami and human read the label curiously.

"Do you believe this can cover up your scent?" Tikki asked.

"I hope it can." Hayami frowned at the bottle then sprayed a bit of perfume in the air. Tikki flew through the perfume and back in a zigzag way. "It smells like flowers."

Next day, with fresh perfume on her skin, Hayami walked to school. She went past some sakura trees and a few petals fluttered on her head. They reminded her of that night with Black Cat, and she smiled.

She had talked with Black Cat last night about shortening patrol but they hadn't come to a conclusion yet. Though they both agreed some changes had to be made.

Hayami's phone buzzed and she saw she had received a new message from Nakamura. Nakamura said she was going to be late and told Hayami not to wait for her.

"That's so Nakamura," Hayami muttered under her breath. She wasn't bothered by it though; she knew mistakes could be made.

Hayami wondered how her following year could change. How would training be like? How would their classes be? Would they even have normal classes?

She turned and the base of the long stairs leading to the campus came into view. Even after spending two weeks at the 3-E classroom before break, Hayami still felt self conscious when she saw the stairs. It was a constant reminder of her failure and her lower status.

Hayami glimpsed a lone shadow walking up the stairs. It was her classmate Takebayashi, the one who had been akumatized a few days ago. From his slumped pose, Hayami suspected he was still as gloomy as ever, making him fodder for akumatization. Heeding her duty as Ladybug, Hayami approached him, but the moment he heard her footsteps, Takebayashi's pace quickened. He evidently didn't want anyone to talk to him.

Hayami understood. She wanted to be alone at times too. But still Hayami decided to keep an eye on Takebayashi for the time being. It was the least she could do.

Takebayashi seemed to be a bit similar to her too. They were both hardworking students and they were unable to accept their failures. But, Hayami thought, Chiba was even more similar to her.

He was silent but dutiful. They never talked much, but Hayami wondered if they could someday share a connection due to their close personalities. Chiba's eyes were always covered by his bangs, so she had no way of knowing what he was looking at, but sometimes, Hayami would get the odd feeling of a stare heavy on her back. When she turned around, that feeling would vanish, but she could always see Chiba around her for some reason. Maybe he liked to look at her, which was strange. But it wasn't exactly a pervy once-over à la Okajima. It felt more of a curious observation. Kind of how she, as Ladybug, liked to look at Black Cat...

 _Don't tell me he likes me. That's weird._ Hayami muttered to herself. _I'm just overthinking._

Perhaps Chiba was also pondering whether they could be good friends or not. He was probably too shy to make a move.

"Good morning, Hayami."

 _Ah, speak of the devil._

Hayami tilted her head to see Chiba behind her. She was so absorbed in her thoughts, she hadn't sensed his presence. "Good morning," she gave a courteous reply.

Chiba had been so busy during the holidays due to investigating the moon's explosion with Ladybug. He hardly had any time to think about Hayami, and he was foolish enough to believe he'd gotten over her. But the moment he saw her, that old, jittery yet ecstatic feeling crashed over him, like strong waves that refused to recede.

He wondered what she would do if she knew about their assassination mission. But, taking her personality into account, she probably would just accept it and try her best to kill the creature.

Chiba noticed that Hayami had been staring at the staircase for some time with no apparent reason. "Are you waiting for someone?" he asked.

Hayami instinctively checked her phone. No new messages from Nakamura. "No," she replied, sensing the growing awkwardness between them.

"Oh." Not knowing what to say, Chiba shuffled his feet.

Hayami didn't want to stay at base of the staircase any longer, so she spun her head and went up. Chiba followed after her, their footsteps oddly echoing in sync. It was another reminder of how similar they were.

He wanted to know more about Hayami, but he was afraid that might affect their working relationship. And he didn't want to creep her out.

Plagg had also told him to be a bit more open that year. Something along the lines of "be more assertive and make more friends". Chiba knew it was a difficult thing for him to do, but he'd managed to become friends with Ladybug last year. Surely he can create new friendships now.

When he reached the campus, he saw Mimura at Sugaya's desk. Both of them were excitedly chattering, looking unusually chirpy for two teenagers in the morning. Chiba dumped his bag on his desk and felt it wobble. Well, what did he expect in a such a rundown campus?

"Good morning, Chiba," Mimura greeted. "Hey, you wanna see what's Sugaya drawing?"

Chiba hesitated for a second, then he walked to the boys and peered over Sugaya's head. Sugaya was doodling geometric patterns in a notebook. Chiba's eyes widened in awe when he saw the neat, symmetrical lines that criss-crossed with each other in perfect patterns. It was so aesthetically pleasing to him.

"...and as I was saying, doodling this kind of stuff can help you relax." Sugaya's ink smudged hand gracefully slid across the smooth paper.

"This is amazing," the words slipped from Chiba's lips. He wished he had the time to improve his drawing skills, but with his combined student/ assassin/ hero duties, it was near impossible.

"You know, this is supposed to help you de-stress, but for me, trying to perfectly draw this intricate pattern just adds more stress," Mimura remarked. His hands were planted on his desk, his eyes never leaving Sugaya's drawing.

Sugaya hummed. "I guess everyone has their own ways to relax."

"Oh look, it's Okajima." Mimura raised his head to look at the student that had just entered.

 _Oh no, it's Okajima,_ Hayami thought, but immediately reprimanded herself. She shouldn't say bad things about her classmates. But she still wished he wouldn't bother her too much this year. She didn't want to be in Okajima's class for three consecutive years, but there was nothing she could do but accept it.

"Good morning," Okajima yawned, stumbling to his seat. "Does anyone have their math homework? I forgot to do a few sums."

Chiba automatically dug out his completed math assignment from his bag, and handed it to Okajima. "The sums are probably wrong," he said.

"You say that every time, but you never make mistakes." Okajima took the book, a grin on his face. "Thanks, bro."

After Okajima sat down to do his homework (or more appropriately, copy Chiba's), he lifted his nose, a funny look on his face. He sniffed the air as if he was a dog. "Hmm, why do I smell some… flowery scent? Is it perfume?" He started to move, eyes darting across the classroom. Hayami stiffened. So it wasn't just the weird creature having an incredible sense of smell. Okajima, a mere human, had somehow acquired that ability too.

"Perfume?" Mimura asked in interest. As if they were twin brothers, he and Sugaya raised their noses in unison. It looked comical to Hayami.

"Who would wear perfume here?" Okajima continued to say. He paced around his desk, looked up, and made eye contact with Hayami. In that moment, she knew he knew she was wearing the perfume. Hayami gulped, and jerked her head away, acting as if nothing had happened.

Fortunately for her, Okajima had some decency. "It's probably some funny cleaning agent," he lied. "No perfume."

The muscles in Hayami's arms relaxed. Okajima wasn't going to expose her. Even though there was technically nothing wrong with wearing perfume, Hayami didn't want everyone to know.

After Okajima finished his homework, he chatted with his friends at Sugaya's desk. Out of things to do, Hayami looked past Okajima's seat, and saw that the class idol, Kanzaki, who was on Okajima's right, was reading a book. Judging by the book's simple cover and thickness, it looked like the kind of book Hayami would enjoy reading. She, however, felt overwhelmed by the idea of talking to Kanzaki, let alone ask her about her book taste. She was practically a goddess in some people's eyes.

Like what had Tikki said, Hayami knew she should open up to more people.

But right now, she just wanted to stay safely in her comfort zone, in her own little desk among the sea of other people.

* * *

On the other side, Sugaya was teaching his friends to draw those aesthetic patterns. Okajima was the least patient out of them all, and nearly broke his pen in half when he realized he'd made the same mistake for five times.

"Ugh, if I get it wrong again, I'm going to kill someone," Okajima grunted, squinting angrily at his piece of paper.

"You'll get it if you try and try again," Sugaya calmly told him.

Chiba privately thought Okajima's bloodlust could be useful for assassination.

After his sixth mistake, Okajima gave up on drawing, so he observed his friends. Chiba was drawing slowly and carefully, making sure each line was perfect.

"Hey, dude, relax!" Sugaya exclaimed as he craned his head to look at Chiba's drawing. "It's not schoolwork, so it doesn't have to be your best!"

"I always have to do my best," Chiba muttered in reply.

Okajima hovered around Chiba as he admired the drawings. When Mimura and Sugaya began to talk in their own little bubble, a rather ignored Okajima leaned closer to Chiba and whispered, "Hey, did you do something about your cheese smell?"

Cold sweat beaded on Chiba's forehead. "W-what cheese smell?" he managed to say.

"Well," Okajima looked a bit uncomfortable. "Ever since I'd met you, you've always had this cheesy kind of smell. It's not particularly unpleasant, but it doesn't smell really good either, it's just… there."

Chiba didn't realize Okajima had such a sensitive nose. Thankfully, Okajima had never been too close to his alter ego. Chiba was somewhat worried Okajima could figure out Black Cat's identity just by using scent.

"Ah, I just changed my detergent. The smell wasn't very noticeable, was it?"

Okajima shrugged. "People always say I have better sense of smell than average, so I can't really judge. But I don't think the smell was very noticeable."

Chiba didn't know how to reply. "Okay," he said simply. He wished Plagg, who was in his pocket, would feel some degree of guilt. In his opinion, Plagg deserved it.

More classmates slowly filed in the classroom. 3-E may be called the "delinquent class", but about everyone was on time. Chiba was sort of glad that Karma wouldn't appear that day, seeing as he was still terrified of who they dubbed as the "school devil".

The second the bell rang, a tall, stoic man entered. The class sensed the man's authority and went as quiet as a tomb. Tension was ringing in the air. Chiba recognized the man as Karasuma, the government officer he and Ladybug had met with before. Karasuma's red eyes passed over Chiba briefly, and Chiba suddenly hoped Karasuma couldn't see he and Black Cat were one and the same.

"Good morning. I am Karasuma, representing the Ministry of Defense. I have an important announcement to make…"

* * *

As expected, 3-E spent the entire morning panicking and doubting themselves.

"But we're just kids! We can't do that!"

"How can we become assassins?"

"What do you mean the world is coming to an end?"

In the midst of confusion and fear, Chiba was glad he'd known this piece of information beforehand. It gave him a bit of mental preparation, but nothing could prepare him for the chaos the class would descend into. Just seeing his classmates' various reactions was more than enough to unease Chiba.

Karasuma had been patient enough with the class, and did his best to answer their questions. Before lunch break, he told the class they would start training in the afternoon, and they would continue on the following two days. When asked about the training, he replied the class would be trained to use knives and guns.

Lunchtime was as hectic as the morning prior to it. There were no more cliques or groups in the clas;, everybody was bonding over this situation that was forced onto them. Most people were so preoccupied by talking about the assassination, they didn't eat much, even though Karasuma told them they needed energy for the rigorous training later.

Chiba's mouth was dry as he forced the tasteless rice in his mouth. His friends had been talking non-stop for twenty minutes. Sugaya was talking about enlisting Ladybug and Black Cat's help, while Okajima was still panicking. Mimura was presenting more practical problems, such as hiding this secret from their family, and perhaps having extended school hours due to their special case.

"Chiba, what's your take?"

Chiba lifted his head from his bento to look at Mimura. Mimura was surprisingly the one conducting their mini group discussion, and Chiba thought he had some decent leadership skills. Chiba chewed his rice slowly to buy time for an answer.

"It's definitely shocking and unexpected. But I believe we should do what we can do. After all, they've placed this responsibility on us, and we have to do our best to fulfill our duty."

"That's a very… you thing to say." Sugaya wagged a chopstick at him. "Instead of losing your cool or worrying about your loved ones, you choose to focus on your duty."

"I wish I can say the same," Mimura said. "All I can think of is how disastrous this situation is."

"The world is ending," Okajima muttered, head in his hands, obviously distressed.

"But we have a year to fix it! We'll be heroes, and we'll get a huge sum of money!" Sugaya thumped his back. "So cheer up, Okajima!"

"And we'll learn some cool assassination skills as a bonus!" Mimura added.

Okajima lifted his head. "Thanks, guys," he said gratefully. "I mean, we might not be able to survive, but at least we'll learn badass knife moves."

"Those sound dangerous," Sugaya commented.

Mimura sent Sugaya a teasing grin. "So says the guy who carves wood in his spare time."

"You carve wood too?"

All eyes landed on Chiba, the one who had just spoken. Chiba rarely talked, and when he did, it was usually about serious business, not small talk such as wood carving. Despite the popularity of his alter ego, Chiba still felt uncomfortable with all those gazes directed at him, and his heart skipped a beat.

"Yeah, I do," Sugaya replied carefully, almost as if he was treading on a minefield. Evidently he was also surprised at Chiba's sudden involvement in the conversation.

"That's cool. Some time ago, I wanted to be a carpenter."

Okajima had to physically tilt his head down to avoid his raised eyebrows being seen by Chiba. Was that the Chiba Ryuunosuke he knew, the aloof, silent boy who never spoke, let alone share his dreams and ambitions?

If he was shocked, Sugaya didn't show it. He just nodded placidly and said, "Carpentry is fun. It's extremely satisfying to see a block of wood come to life due to your own handiwork."

Chiba nodded. "That is exactly how I feel."

Mimura and Okajima watched the conversation bounce between Sugaya and Chiba, as if they were watching a table tennis match. Privately, they were glad that Chiba was making efforts to be more social by discussing his hobbies.

"Oy, Mimura!" Maehara's voice sounded suddenly. Mimura spun to see Maehara and Isogai walking out of the door. "They're teaching us knife skills outside. Let's go and check it out!"

Hurriedly packing their bento boxes, the boys stood up and followed the class out to the lawn next to the campus. Stern-faced instructors were there, flexing their muscles, along with crates of green, rubber knives. Hushed, but excited whispers arose from the crowd of teenagers.

Okajima shivered. "These dudes look scary," he muttered to Mimura.

"Really? I think they look really cool." Mimura shuggered.

Some of the more assertive students, like Maehara and Nakamura, were already stretching and talking to the instructors. While most of the class ran to the knife training instructors, Chiba took a step back, a bit overwhelmed. He looked at his surroundings and his eyes were inexplicably drawn to an unoccupied training site for shooting. There were pistols, rifles, and even sniper rifles at the site, with a few instructors. Chiba watched as Karasuma waved the gun instructors over, and sent them to the knife training site. They were probably short on hand because about every student wanted to learn knife skills first.

Chiba had never professionally handled a gun before. The most he did was shooting his siblings using a Nerf gun, and that probably didn't count as experience. But there was something deadly yet attractive about guns, that drew him like a moth to a flame. Knives were fast, but bullets were faster. They could kill efficiently even from a distance. Plus, everyone was learning to use knives, so _someone_ should learn to use guns to balance the class's overall skillset.

Unnoticed by most, Chiba crept down to the makeshift shooting range. A little confused by the selection of different guns, Chiba cautiously observed each of them, before he picked up a simple-looking rifle. It somehow felt natural in his hand, despite Chiba having never held a rifle before. Somewhat clumsily, Chiba felt the surface of the gun, running his hands over the bumps and gaps, and rested his finger against the cold trigger. He aimed it at a painted bullseye, and tried to press the trigger. Nothing happened. Chiba repeated the action.

 _Eh? Is the safety on? Should I wait for someone to teach me?_

As if handling an explosive, Chiba laid the rifle down gently, and turned it over, trying to make sense of it. The blowing of wind brought the distant chatters of his classmates over, and Chiba wondered if it was a good idea to deviate from the norm. Standing out in his first few days of class was definitely at bottom of his bucket list. He sat awkwardly in silence, not knowing what to do.

Plagg chose that exact moment to burst out from Chiba's pocket. "Hey kid, you should consult a professional," Plagg advised his holder.

"They all seem very busy." Chiba stared at the instructors which were correcting and demonstrating various poses. None of them noticed the lone boy at the shooting range.

Plagg snorted. "When I said 'professional', I was talking about me." The kwami grandly gestured to himself using his small arms.

Chiba couldn't help but chortle. "You?" he asked incredulously.

Plagg hovered above the rifle in circles. "Kid, I'm the god of destruction. I'd witnessed more wars than written down in history. I definitely know all about guns." At that point, Chiba thought a hint of something flickered through Plagg's eyes. Was it sorrow? Anyways, whatever that was, it disappeared as quickly as it came.

Plagg was a surprisingly good shooting teacher. Chiba always knew Plagg, a god, was knowledgeable, but due to Plagg's usually lazy attitude, he never really thought of his kwami as wise and experienced.

Chiba raised his rifle somewhat stiffly, his eyes fixated on the red bullseye-

"No, no! Your position is wrong." Plagg zoomed around Chiba and nudged his arm. "And steady your breathing, kiddo."

When Plagg finally deemed his position as acceptable, Chiba fired. To his delight, the BB pellet didn't completely miss the target.

"Wow, that's actually good for a beginner," Plagg mused. He glanced up at Chiba. "You're getting it really well. Maybe you inherited my knack for destruction."

"Excuse me?" Chiba put his gun down and peered at the hole in the target. "I'm learning to use guns so I can kill the creature that'll destroy the world."

Slowly, with Plagg's tips, Chiba began to familiarize himself with shooting. He tried to control his breathing, but his arm was still shaky. Slowly but surely, Chiba's bullets started to hit the target more often. A little happiness bubbled inside Chiba every time his bullet inched closer to the bullseye. It felt like his hands couldn't stop as they automatically fired round after round, desperate to hit that sweet middle.

Chiba was so occupied in his shooting, he didn't notice Plagg swiftly zooming in his pocket, nor did he sense a pair of gazing eyes on him.

Hayami was admiring Chiba from a distance, silently in awe of him. Hayami too felt like guns suited her more than knives, and while she was waiting for her friend Nakamura, she caught glimpse of her quiet classmate at the shooting range. Assuming Chiba was a beginner in gun handling, his shots were rather impressive. She watched as he experimented with different shooting poses, ranging from sitting down, standing up, to lying flat on the ground. It came too late to her that what she was doing was creepy and stalker-ish, but she comforted herself by thinking she was simply learning from observing his skills.

"Psst!" Tikki whispered from inside Hayami's pocket. "Let's talk to him! You want to know how to shoot, right, Rinka-chi?"

"Shouldn't we wait for an instructor?'

"They all seem occupied now. Maybe Chiba-kun knows something about guns that can help you."

 _Step out of your comfort zone,_ Hayami reminded herself, her fingers twitching nervously. She shot another brief look at Chiba. Hayami didn't want to interrupt him. He looked like he was taking his practices seriously.

(Actually, Hayami still couldn't read Chiba accurately because his eyes were never visible. But from what she knew of him, she assumed he was serious all the time.)

But Hayami did say she wanted to get closer to Chiba, and practicing their shooting skills together seemed like an ideal way. Besides, Chiba was one of the few people Hayami genuinely enjoyed working with.

Hayami discreetly made her way to the shooting range, green eyes sweeping over the different types of guns. Like Chiba, she was similarly fascinated yet confused by the guns. She paused for a second, took the pistol closest to her, and approached Chiba. Chiba was taking a water break, but even as he rested, his eyes never left the target in front of him, that was now riddled with bullet holes.

Hayami coughed. "Hello, Chiba."

Hearing Hayami's voice out of the blue shocked Chiba, but he didn't let it show. Instead, he smoothly spun around and greeted her.

"Those were some remarkable shots," Hayami complimented. She sat down cross-legged, and attempted to pull her skirt over her knees. "I hope you don't mind this, but… can you teach me how to shoot?"

A slight blush dotted Chiba's cheeks at her words. "Oh, sure, but I'm an amatuer at shooting. I'm not trustable."

"Ah." Hayami glanced at his target, the holes suddenly like medals of honour more than anything else. "But you seem to have a talent for it."

"A talent doesn't mean anything if you don't work hard," Chiba replied modestly. He didn't have the faintest idea why Hayami would walk away from the norm and join him in their pathetic little shooting group, and he was even more baffled by her reaction to his shots. He might had been proud of them, but it didn't mean a thing to professional assassins.

Hayami fiddled with her pistol. It was clearly a different breed from the rifle Chiba was using, and she wasn't sure if Chiba knew how to operate a pistol, but it wouldn't hurt to ask. "How do you use this?" she asked in her curt, straightforward way.

 _Oh no. She believes I'm a great gun user, but that's only because of Plagg._ Chiba didn't know what to say, but he knew he had to help Hayami. After all, she asked for his assistance. He had to trust himself and his gun instincts.

He reached over and took the gun from Hayami. To his credit, he didn't instantly become a blushy, bumbling idiot when his hand brushed past hers. Still, that sweet, warm feeling that he'd always gotten when he was around her greeted him like an old friend, reminding him he still had a really big crush on her. Chiba wondered if his feelings were shown too obviously.

(But in reality, Hayami couldn't sense that at all. In fact, she thought Chiba was being very cool and stoic.)

"I think you have to pull this." Chiba's fingers touched the surface of the gun as he inspected it. "And you put your finger here. I'm not sure; take this all with a grain of salt."

Hayami took the gun back and hesitatingly aimed it at the target next to Chiba's. "Is there a specific stance?"

Chiba decided it was prime time to use the knowledge Plagg had passed down to him. "For starters, you have to coordinate your breathing. Then you find a stance that feels natural and comfortable to you. Using a rifle is different from a pistol, so I can't say I know a lot."

Hayami practiced for a few times. Her shots weren't as accurate as Chiba's, so she aimed (pun unintended) to at least reach his standards. As Hayami tested out her skills, Chiba sat behind her, busily whispering to Plagg on how to operate pistols.

Plagg grinned, smugness evident in his glowing green eyes. "You better thank me; I'm your wingman now."

Chiba gave him a deadpan stare, which unfortunately wasn't visible.

Thanks to the cat kwami, Chiba gave Hayami a few more pointers. Hayami nodded seriously and continued to practice. Seeing that Hayami was getting more familiar with shooting, Chiba picked up his gun again.

Hayami shot Chiba a swift look. "Do you mind it if I practice next to you?"

"Ah." Something fluttery blossomed in his stomach. "Of course not."

Even though Hayami liked to work alone at most times, she didn't mind working with Chiba. He was more informed about guns than her, and he could help her (if he wanted to).

As Chiba returned to practicing, he suddenly was extremely conscious of the fact that Hayami was right next to him. They were alone and _she was right next to him._

Which meant she could observe his shots and possibly judge him, and if he somehow screwed up she would see it all, plus if Plagg wasn't careful, his identity would be blown. But if he did a good job, he could possibly make an even better impression on her.

 _Breathe. Breathe._

He ordered himself to calm down, as his fingers locked themselves into that familiar shooting position. As he aimed, a flash of peach hair fluttered in his peripheral vision. Hayami was so pretty with her hair down. His heart stuttered and so did his hands. Helplessly, he watched as the bullet grazed past the edge of the target. It was clearly more off-mark than any other of his shots. Chiba winced.

Hayami knew she should be focusing on her practice, but she couldn't help but look at Chiba's target. She could see if she was near his standard, and how she might try to improve. So she was a bit shocked when she noticed his recent shots were not as good as his old ones. Keeping a calm facade, she returned to work, unease twisting inside her.

Like her, Chiba preferred to work solo. And that was how he had been until she had suddenly barged in to practice with him. She was probably stressing him out, and that was why his shooting skills had a sudden decline.

It was the same old pang of guilt. Hayami hated to inconvenience anyone. Even if she needed help, she would do her absolute best not to bother anyone too much. That time when Chiba bandaged her hurt arm when she was Ladybug had made Hayami feel bad for weeks.

Chiba glimpsed Hayami looking at him, and his muscles went stiff. He pretended he hadn't seen her at all and continued to aim, but again his shot went off-target.

Hayami frowned, and knew something had to be done. Disappointment in herself settled inside her. And she was bold enough to assume that they would work well together in assassination. She lowered her pistol and turned to Chiba.

"I'm sorry. Maybe you work better on your own," she said curtly. "I shouldn't have disturbed you."

Chiba's heart went cold. "It-it's not like that…"

But he couldn't say another thing as she quickly packed her things and went away. His dazed eyes followed her backside until she disappeared from view.

She definitely felt let down by him. Maybe she thought he somehow disliked her or something, when, in fact, it was all because he had a stupid gigantic crush on her.

Chiba felt terrible, but he couldn't exactly go to Hayami and say "hey I was nervous because I like you a lot". Trapped in his own pit of gloom, he picked up his gun and shot again and again, hoping the repetitive actions could wash his dejection away.

* * *

Karasuma was rather content with the kids' performance. Even if they were lacking foundation, they were willing to try until they got it right. As with every group of soldiers he had supervised, the most athletic ones stood out. For this class, it was the male class representative and his orange haired friend.

Karasuma's eyes left the sparring training grounds for a while to see if there were students using guns. He observed that the shooting range was rather empty. _I suppose these kids do feel closer to knives._

He distinctly heard a gunshot and Karasuma immediately pinpointed where it came from. He walked to the origin of the sound and found a girl using a pistol without adult supervision.

Hayami's pistol felt strangely cold in her fingers. She found a shooting spot far away from Chiba, and practiced some more. Without Chiba giving out advice, she wasn't sure if she was doing it correctly.

"You there!"

The sudden, strong command made Hayami jump, and her pistol clattered to the ground. She stiffly turned and saw the serious Karasuma glaring at her.

"I-I'm sorry…" Hayami stuttered as Karasuma strode to her. Her heart felt like it was beating a million times per second.

"You're not supposed to use guns without a trainer," Karasuma said icily.

Hayami was practically frozen with fear. "I'm sorry," she repeated. "I won't do it again."

She could already see her future in her mind: being scolded by Karasuma, then expelled for disobeying the rules, and she would have to go to a random, lower level school, disappointing herself and her mom, then she would go to a lower level university and get a lower level job-

"Although this is a foolish action, I admit you seem to be capable of handling these airguns in a non-dangerous way." Karasuma crossed his arms and stared hard at Hayami's target. After several seconds of studious observation, he asked, "What is your name?"

Glad that Karasuma wasn't going crazy with her at the moment, she replied, "Hayami."

"Hayami-san, I would like to see you shoot. Just for a few times. No need to be nervous."

Unfortunately, the last sentence just made Hayami's anxiety levels skyrocket. But she forced herself to calm her breathing. She raised her (thankfully not trembling) arms and pointed the pistol at her target.

Three gunshots echoed through the small area. To Hayami's satisfaction, she didn't do too badly. There was a pause as she waited for Karasuma to say something, perhaps even just give a grunt of affirmation. But there was nothing.

The girl wondered if she should shoot more. Four bullets later, Hayami deemed it was enough to give Karasuma a first impression. As Karasuma was a highly respected senior, Hayami politely waited for him to comment on her performance.

But curiously enough, Karasuma didn't say a word.

The atmosphere turned funny, but Hayami had a feeling that Tikki, although silent, was edging her to be more assertive.

Hayami carefully worded her thoughts. She turned to face stoic man.

"Karasuma-san, could it be I failed to do something?" she finally asked, making sure to keep her tone formal and courteous.

"For starters, your pose is a little off," Karasuma began straightforwardly, and demonstrated the proper pose. "And your aim is not steady, but that can be corrected with practice. But overall, not bad for a first-timer. I especially appreciate that you took the initiative to speak. That thirst for knowledge, and dare I say, courage, is admirable."

Hayami decided to stay as formal as possible. She gave a short, stiff bow. "Thank you for your comments."

As the girl stood up to her full height, her eyes met with Karasuma's. Karasuma noted her cool, serious eyes, so different from the typical teenager's. This girl knew what to do, and when to do them. She was aware of consequences, and knew what she could do to help.

… In fact, she kind of reminded him of Ladybug. Odd how he met both teenagers recently. Karasuma glanced at Hayami, but didn't a mention a word.

Karasuma tutored Hayami on shooting for a while, and decided to teach her the basics of operating a sniper rifle. Hayami had naturally been a bit overwhelmed with the different parts, and she was afraid of the damaging the rifle, but with Karasuma's help, she quickly got the hang of it.

As Hayami concentrated on practicing, Karasuma heard a commotion back near the school building. He suspected someone had been hurt. "I'm needed over there. Excuse me," he said curtly. He shot a swift look at Hayami. "I trust you to behave. Also, if someone practices here, please keep an eye on them for me just for the time being."

"Yes, sir." Hayami added that "sir" just in case. A little triumph blossomed in her: Karasuma trusted her with the other students! Which meant she was doing an okay job!

Once Karasuma vanished from view, Tikki popped up and grinned. "Wow, Rinka-chi, great going! I'm so proud of you!'

"Thanks," Hayami flashed her kwami a quick smile. Sh stared at the target in front of her, and a familiar face floated in her mind. Chiba. Now she had time to run it through her mind again, perhaps he wasn't bothered by her. After all, it was hard to tell his expressions and feelings from his half-covered face. Maybe she was just overthinking as usual.

Hayami decided it was time to stop fussing over things. She walked to where she'd last seen Chiba, hoping to find him.

The untidy grass tickled her ankles as she strode to the other side of the field. The spring breeze ruffled her hair, and she was pondering if she should tie it up, despite her possible resemblance to Ladybug. She squinted and saw pink bullets on the ground, a used target, but no Chiba.

"Hayami."

For the second time that day, Hayami jumped and turned to see Chiba right behind her, standing too stiffly.

"Sorry if I startled you. I was looking for you."

"Ah. I was looking for you too."

They stared at each other, knowing they both had something they wanted to tell the other, but was too polite and passive to make the first move.

"You first," Hayami gestured to him. At the same time, Chiba said, "You first."

An awkward silence ensured and they both looked down. Hayami fidgeted with her fingers. The seconds dragged on. Chiba suddenly began to regret every one of his life decisions.

Somewhere, a bird cawed.

Chiba cleared his throat. "I'm sorry that I acted a bit awkward earlier. It has nothing to do with you, I promise (at least not in the way you think). It was my problem, not yours."

Hayami was relieved. "Alright, nice to hear that. Karasuma-san just taught me how to use a sniper rifle, and I thought maybe I can teach you too," she said.

"Is that allowed?"

"Karasuma-san said I could help other people while he was away."

Chiba's mind was spinning. A learning opportunity with Hayami? A chance to get closer to her and yet do something productive at the same time?

"Oh, okay, I want to know how to use a rifle," he managed to get out, hoping his overexcitement was concealed. It probably was, as about everyone told Chiba they couldn't read his expressions.

In a way, Chiba was glad not much people knew what he felt. He was a very private person, and would _hate_ it if everyone could read him like a book. But on the other hand, he did feel misunderstood at times. People thought he was cold and uncaring when he was just bad at expressing himself.

Ladybug seemed to have a better grasp of his emotions when he was Black Cat, but he was sure it was only because of his fake cat ears that moved according to what he felt. And Ladybug happened to be really good at understanding cats. So it wasn't like she really knew about him; she just read physical cues that weren't visible when he was a civilian.

Which was sad, really, as Ladybug was his closest friend, but she didn't even know who he really was.

The duo went to a nearby sniper rifle. Hayami crouched down and fiddled with the rifle. Chiba didn't know what to do, so he just observed Hayami's movements. In a non-creepy way, of course.

"See if you can see the target through the scope," Hayami said.

"Okay." Chiba bended and peered through the scope, his bangs swaying in front of his vision. He stayed motionless for a few seconds, then he straightened his back.

"Uhh, I can see something, but I don't think it's the target." Chiba scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"Ah." Hayami observed Chiba with a critical eye. "... Perhaps your hair is blocking your vision?"

Chiba could sense a hesitant tone in her voice, and he knew Hayami was aware he didn't like it when people talked about his hairstyle. It was nice that she tried to make him less uncomfortable.

"It doesn't seem like it…" Chiba was pretty much accustomed to his hair and it hadn't caused him any viewing problems.

"Come here." Hayami was again adjusting the scope. Chiba briefly admired her seriousness, then realized what she had said, and crouched next to her. Together, their heads leaned close to the scope. If either one of them shifted, even just slightly, their cheeks would brush, which made Chiba excited and grossed out simultaneously. Chiba's breath hitched at the extreme closeness to Hayami. It wasn't just because he had a big fat crush on her, but it was because he didn't usually come into close proximity with another person (Ladybug was the exception).

What was he thinking? He and Ladybug got awfully physically close with each other during akuma fights, and that was his duty, so why would he mind being right next to Hayami for practice?

Chiba moved his head to get a better view, and he could practically _feel_ Hayami's face right next to his, and he hoped she couldn't sense the heat radiating off his cheeks.

A light breeze tickled their skin and he caught the scent of something flowery and sweet, but it dissipated as quickly as it came. Instinctively, his curious nose twitched, not unlike the way cats did.

Approximately half of a second later, Chiba realized he was probably smelling Hayami's shampoo. And he was behaving in a very weird and sketchy way.

 _Get a grip on yourself! Don't be like Okajima!_

The guilt was a heavy knot in his stomach. He was supposed to focus on sniping, not on a (confessedly attractive) girl! Frustrated with himself, Chiba forced his eyes on the scope again. This time he could see the target through the scope.

Hayami taught him how to fire and he tried it out experimentally. Due to the wind, his bullet missed the target completely.

"I guess assassinations like this one depend on the weather," Hayami remarked.

"We'll have to take the wind speed and direction into account," Chiba mused.

Just as he was talking about the wind, a stronger breeze swept past the two, and Chiba's bangs fluttered up. That triggered his body alarm system. His hand jerked automatically and he hastily patted his bangs down. Pretending he hadn't just basically freaked out, Chiba resumed his practice, breathing deeply to steady himself.

He didn't want to imagine what would happen if Hayami saw his eyes. Memories of his ex-classmates' various reactions flashed right before his vision, and Chiba gulped. He recalled the weird stares and cries and the way they all avoided him like the plague, and even though he was a teenager and had outgrown those years, it still left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Chiba?"

Hayami's voice cut through his dark thoughts like a bright beam of light.

Wishing he hadn't just sprouted poetry about Hayami, Chiba answered, "Yes?"

"You have a leaf on your head."

Chiba reached out an arm in an attempt to get it off, but he probably missed as Hayami said, "Wait, I'll do it for you."

He felt her quickly sweep the offending leaf off, and from where her hand touched his hair, a sudden but familiar spark of sweetness shot through his body. Strange happiness blossomed inside him, and he was confusedly elated. He realized that sensation was exactly the same as the one he felt when Ladybug petted his head.

His cat instincts were getting the better of him. Chiba bit his lip and forced all those unrelated thoughts away.

When Chiba understood the basics, Hayami moved to a spot next to him and they both practiced, occasionally swapping tips that helped them. The cheerful sound of bullets hitting targets filled the area.

"Working with you is nice," Hayami commented.

"Yeah." Chiba just nodded, and the corners of his lips quirked up.

He didn't say it, but he hoped he and Hayami, who both had some shooting skills now, could assist each other and do what the other couldn't do. Practicing seemed more interesting and productive with Hayami present.

* * *

After the training sessions, Chiba didn't get a lot of chances to learn knife skills, so he decided to ask Plagg. Which resulted in Chiba trying to perform some sick knife moves in the confinement of his room, while Plagg yelled at him, the little god's mouth stuffed with Camembert.

"Left! Right! No, _your_ right! And now that wrist movement!" Plagg instructed. It looked especially hilarious how a small, catlike kwami was giving directions to his human holder, who was way bigger than him.

In the midst of the rigorous practice, Chiba's foot slipped and he thankfully crashed into his bed instead of the floor, but he still created quite a commotion.

"Oniichan! Are you okay?" his middle sister Fumiko yelled.

A grunt. "I'm fine."

"By the way, dinner's ready!" she called.

Chiba hurriedly collected himself and flung his rubber knife in a drawer. "Coming!"

After dinner, as Chiba put the dishes back into the kitchen, his phone vibrated. Thanking the gods that his dish duty wasn't today, he sprinted back to his room and checked his phone. As he had expected, there was a new akuma on the prowl.

"Plagg, claws on!"

He transformed in a flash and leapt out of his window. The sky was dark so he used his night vision to quickly navigate the roads (or more accurately, the rooftops). Streetlights and the beeping of cars swept past him as he stealthily followed the akuma.

"Got you," he hissed and he pounced on the akuma, who tossed him away. Undeterred, Black Cat did a somersault and leapt back to his feet. He threw a punch at the akuma, and he would've hit the mark if the akuma hadn't suddenly vanished with a cheeky grin, leaving Black Cat in confused shock.

"A teleporting akuma?" a familiar voice spoke from above. It was Ladybug.

"It'll take time to track the akuma down." Black Cat had already opened the map in his baton. Ladybug swung herself down and inspected the area to see if the akuma left behind any hints. Embarrassingly for her, her stomach growled.

"Haven't had dinner yet?" Black Cat asked.

"No, but I'll manage," Ladybug muttered, cheeks pink with mortification at ungodly belch that sounded from her.

Black Cat wanted to suggest Ladybug to get a bite, but he knew she wouldn't do that. Ladybug was extremely focused on work and would even neglect her own physical needs to complete her duties.

"Crap! The akuma's holding hostages at the bridge!" Ladybug exclaimed. She tossed her yoyo upwards and dashed to the bridge, Black Cat following suit. And thus began an hour long search for the akuma, and when they finally caught the akuma, it was already nine in the evening. The heroes were both exhausted, and in Ladybug's case, hungry.

After their customary fistbump, Black Cat zoomed away. After all that pent up frustration and adrenaline from hunting for that akuma, he wanted to do something wild. He wondered what sort of impact his superhuman abilities could inflict on his assassination skills.

He ran on the roofs, freely swinging the rubber knife grasped in hand. He obviously had better reflexes and agility when he was transformed. He knew he and Ladybug had agreed to only help the class (read: his class) if they asked to, so he trained himself to prepare. The superhero stabbed imaginary opponents as he practiced under the blanket of stars.

Meanwhile, Hayami was still hungry. Her mom told her on a late notice that she wasn't coming home that night. Hayami had expected her mom to bring home some takeout, so now, Hayami had to prepare her dinner. As she pondered what to do with the groceries in her home, the akuma appeared and she had to deal with it. After the akuma fight, she was finally free to eat, but most shops and restaurants were closed. Which meant Hayami had to resort to eating cup ramen, as she was too tired to cook.

Her home was quiet and dark when she returned. Hayami comforted herself that at least she still had Tikki with her. With a flick of her finger, the lights turned on, illuminating the too neat living room. She kicked her outdoor shoes off and trudged into the bathroom. Tikki's bright eyes followed Hayami's backside into the bathroom, and the door shut. The little kwami zoomed into the kitchen, opened a cupboard, and dragged a cup noodle out with her tiny arms. She flew to another drawer and took out the pair of chopsticks she knew Hayami ate with.

 _It's the least I can do for Rinka-chi,_ Tikki thought. With certain difficulty, she peeled the cover of the cup noodle off, and poured hot water from a water boiler.

Hayami squeezed the water out of her hair and put on comfy clothes. A fluffy towel around her damp neck, the girl stepped out and found a steaming cup noodle waiting for her. Her eyes widened slightly, and then she saw Tikki, a wide grin on her face. Indescribable warmth filled Hayami's heart like a river of hot cocoa.

"Thanks, Tikki." She petted Tikki's head fondly and slipped her a cookie. "You're the best."

Cup noodle and chopstick in hand, she went outside on the balcony from her living room. The night was calm after the ruckus of the akuma attack, but Hayami could still hear the faint flow of traffic. Twinkling lights lit up buildings, and if Hayami squinted, she could see a couple of bright stars in the inky sky. She lifted her chopsticks in her mouth and savoured the first taste of the noodles, but then a familiar shape on the floor caught her eye.

A knife.

It wasn't just any knife. It had the words S. A. A. U. S. O. on it, which meant it was the specially created knife that could kill that mysterious creature. Hayami was sure it wasn't hers, and the creature was supposed to be an international secret, so why was it lying innocently on her balcony?

Her questions was answered two seconds later when a dark figure dropped right before her eyes, upside down and dangling from the skies.

Instinctively, Hayami took a step back, somersaults twisting in her stomach due to her cute superhero partner/ crush's intense green eyes that appeared out of nowhere and now piercing straight into hers-

Wait.

"What are you doing here?" Hayami asked loudly, quite forgetting a) she was not Ladybug at the moment and therefore b) she should treat Black Cat with formal respect.

Black Cat was still frozen with surprise, his black hair upside down and cheeks flushed with exercise. His hand was stretched upwards, presumably to hold on to something to maintain his upside down state.

The soft light from her apartment cast dramatic shadows over his face, and Hayami idly observed that he had some pretty nice cheekbones. She was too occupied with admiring his jawline that she failed to realize he was, in fact, speaking.

 _Stop ogling him!_ Hayami scolded herself and attempted to keep down the loud pounding of her heart.

"So sorry," Black Cat stuttered awkwardly. Hayami felt like she was going to die. He performed a backflip and landed on the railing of her balcony, teetering a bit due to his nervousness.

He was just practicing (read: getting high on his fighting abilities) on rooftops and then his knife flew out of his hand. He searched for it for a while and then discovered it lying on a balcony, but he had acted too rashly and just extended his baton and hung himself upside down to fetch it. Little did he know it was actually _Hayami's_ balcony and she, innocent civilian, was literally standing in front of him, with damp hair and rosy skin and wide eyes and Black Cat felt like he had been zapped by electricity.

Hayami approached him cautiously and pointed to the knife. "Is this yours?"

"Yes, thank you." Black Cat took the knife and bowed to Hayami. "I apologize for scaring you and intruding your house. It was my careless mistake."

Hayami nodded. "It's cool."

Black Cat _did_ think Hayami was very cool. Nine out of ten teenage girls would've screamed (in excitement, not in shock) if they found him on their balcony.

"So," Hayami stared hard at the rubber knife. "You know about that creature too…"

Black Cat's muscles stiffened and it felt like an icy bucket of water had been dumped over him. Even though she was in his class, she wasn't supposed to know that much about superheroes or that creature yet! It would only put her in danger.

"Ahh, so you're from that 3-E, yes?" Black Cat asked if he didn't know that already.

"Yup. Are you and Ladybug joining the assassinations?"

It felt weird talking about her alter ego in third person, and asking questions she knew the answer to, but she had to put on the facade of a "clueless civilian" or else it would seem suspicious.

"No unless the class- I mean, your class, request us to."

"It must be exhausting," Hayami said. "You've just finished fighting the akuma and you have to train."

"We have to constantly improve our skills so we can protect this town." Black Cat was quite liking this conversation. "After all, this is our duty."

He glimpsed the cup noodle in her hand. "Sorry, am I interrupting something?" he asked hastily.

"It's fine; I like talking to you," Hayami replied, her eyes soft in the dim light. She wondered if she was revealing too much to a guy who should be a stranger (and he would be if she hadn't happened to be a superheroine), but she felt at ease with him.

"Nurufufu~"

An eerie but bizarre chuckle sounded from behind the two, gradually surrounding them like sound effects in a cinema. Hayami nervously shifted, cursing herself for not always bringing weapons with her. She instinctively felt her earrings to make sure they were there. Meanwhile, Black Cat brandished his knife, other hand at the baton on his belt. "Who's there? Show yourself!" he ordered, his back facing Hayami so he could use his body as a shield for her.

There was silence, then a shriek of "CUP RAMEN!" was heard. Hayami felt cold wind whoosh past her, and all of her cup noodle literally disappeared in an instant. Hayami stared, not comprehending what had happened. When her senses finally came back to her, she jumped and her empty cup nearly fell out of her hands.

"FOODFOODFOODFOODFOOD-"

This time, Black Cat could hear where the annoyingly familiar voice came from. He swung his knife at the blurry yellow figure, who dodged it at Mach speed. Hayami gasped and tried to follow the creature's movements, but her helpless eyes couldn't keep up. If the creature were to steal their miraculouses at that moment, they were doomed...

"Oy! You shouldn't eat her food with permission!" Black Cat reprimanded as he continued to attempt to stab the creature, but ended up hitting thin air everytime. The creature's giggles flew past his ears almost mockingly. "That's stealing!" Black Cat yelled.

"Aww, but I was really hungry!" the creature whined. Hayami's bangs fluttered up as the creature dropped something in her hands and replaced her old cup noodle. "Here, as compensation, I'll give you a special limited cup noodle which has this really tasty beef and broth! It's a big hit and I can guarantee it tastes delicious! I'll even cook it for you!"

Right before her eyes, Hayami could only watch as a kettle materialized from nowhere and the creature poured steaming water into the cup. She had to admit, this new cup noodle looked way more attractive than the cheap one she used to have. But having her food stolen right under her nose by a superhuman creature wasn't a very pleasant experience, and she wouldn't want it to happen again.

"I replaced her food. Is this okay?" the creature grinned at Black Cat, who was panting and leaning against the railing. Black Cat regarded the creature with suspicion, but nodded.

"Also, Black Cat, since you have attempted and failed to kill me, there will be consequences…" the creature warned ominously, evil cackles sounding from its mouth. Dread crept down Black Cat's spine, and he subconsciously stepped back and gripped his knife tightly.

Air invaded Black Cat from every direction and something prodded his hair. The boy attempted to ward off whatever that was with his hands, but a squishy and soft thing wrapped themselves around his wrists. Before he knew it, the creature was standing in front of him, different hair styling tools in yellow tentacles, complete with an aggravating smile.

"I've given you a makeover, Black Cat. You look so cool in this! Kya!" The creature's face turned pink as it proceeded to fanboy over him (again).

"...?"

Black Cat hurriedly felt his midnight hair, which was now gelled up in spikes. In fact, it reminded of the hairstyle he used to have when he was rocking it out with his bandmates in his second year. Embarrassed by the memory, cherry red flushed his face as he tried his best to pat his hair down with no avail. The creature must had used a strong hair gel.

Then he heard melodious giggles. His head snapped towards the source, which was Hayami. Her charming smile lit up her face like colourful fireworks, and his heartbeat accelerated when he saw her very cute expression.

Black Cat's confusion and blushy cheeks had been too adorable for Hayami. Gods, how she craved to pet his head and see his ears twitch! The light and bubbly feeling that flowed through her veins was like the champagne she once tried at Nakamura's, and it was filling her up until it was overflowing and bursting out of her, so she couldn't help but giggle to let it all out. And not to mention, he looked so cool and handsome with that hairstyle. Now, instead of the "dorky but friendly neighbourhood superhero" persona he usually put now, he had the look of an "elusive but wildly popular (and attractive) rock star". And she liked both of those looks immensely.

Hayami looked up and was surprised to find his eyes staring warmly at her. They were so mellow and full of fondness, unlike the cool, stoic way he glared at akumas. Hayami's heart skipped a beat as she felt her breath being taken away by those gorgeous "heart eyes". And for one shining moment, it was like eternity as they lost themselves in the wondrous world of each other's eyes, searching and finding what laid behind the cold walls they put up.

Black Cat blinked, and the dreamy magic faded away like soapy bubbles. "I- my hair is weird, isn't it?" he asked hesitatingly.

Hayami's jaw dropped. How could he, a near perfect human, say that? If he was "weird", then she must be an old hag standing in her dumpy homewear. "No, no, you're…" she struggled for a word, "...cool. Very cool."

 _And beautiful. And adorable. And gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous._ Hayami secretly added those in her head.

His lips lifted in a half-smile, indescribable giddiness blossoming inside him. "Oh, really?' he asked, his face glowing with joy.

Too overwhelmed by him, Hayami could only nod and bashfully say "yes" in face of the (her?) superhero.

Unnoticed by the duo, the pink-faced creature was grinning and happily jotting down notes in a notebook. "Ah, young love…" it sighed blissfully then quickly zoomed away.

A beat passed. Black Cat ran his hand over his spiked hair again, and looked awkwardly at the town. "Uh, umm, I think I should go now." To his mortification, his voice cracked.

"Y-yeah, you should. Sorry for bothering you," Hayami muttered, pink blotches on her cheeks and she self-consciously tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Bye!" Black Cat waved and jumped off the balcony, using his baton to propel himself into the night.

For quite some time after he left, Hayami stared. She was motionless, but an odd fire was raging inside her. It was _him,_ always him; Black Cat, with his bright eyes and gorgeous hair and adorable smile that caused somersaults inside her like no one else did. She absentmindedly stuffed the noodles in her mouth. To the creature's credit, it _did_ taste really good.

"Rinka-chi, you really like him, huhh…" Tikki popped out and said, a thoughtful look on her face.

Hayami turned to her and studied the kwami. "... Is that a bad thing?"

"Not necessarily. You can't control who you fall in love with."

At the mention of the word "love", Hayami's face turned bright red again.

"It's not _love_!" she protested. She used a finger to lightly push back Tikki's head. "It's just a crush at most!"

"Sorry sorry," Tikki giggled. "I'm just used to my old holders being in love. They were so cute!"

"Ah." Tikki didn't talk much about her past experiences, but that could be due to Hayami never asking her. "How are your old holders?"

Tikki smiled, but there was just a slight hint of sadness to it. "A lot of them had passed away," she confessed. "The ladybug earrings holder before you is an old guy now. And to think I met him when he was a teenager… time really flies for immortal deities like us. That's why I always push you to do things- you'll never know when you'll have a chance again. Especially with the possibility of the world ending next year."

"That makes sense." Hayami thought how hard it was for Tikki to watch her holders age and eventually die, while she remained the same as ever, unchanging as the guardian of the ladybug miraculous. She swallowed, and wondered what sort of memories Tikki hid under her cheerful smile.

After her dinner, Hayami went back inside the apartment. She stifled a yawn and found that she had received a few new messages from Black Cat. With a press of a button, the messages popped up.

 **Black Cat:** Hi, I've thought quite a bit about our patrol problem

 **Black Cat:** Ever since we'd appeared, the crime rates in our town and the neighboring towns have dropped a lot; I'm sure the police can handle most of the cases

 **Black Cat:** As for akumas, Kochou sends them out at random, and akuma rates don't especially go up at night. We definitely should be alert at all times, but we shouldn't sacrifice all of our free time. As you know, our job can be stressful.

 **Black Cat:** I was thinking of patrolling 3-4 days per week? Not sure which days to patrol though.

 **Ladybug:** I think we can use an online randomizer every week to see which days to patrol

 **Ladybug:** That way, people can't figure out our pattern

 _Black Cat is typing…_

Hayami oddly found herself looking very forward to what he would say, even she literally she saw him everyday, and they were just discussing work.

 **Black Cat:** That's a smart solution. I think I can find a randomizer and I'll send you the dates every week :D

 **Ladybug:** Thanks :)

 **Black Cat:** Are we meeting tonight?

 **Ladybug:** I was thinking of starting our new strategy next week. What do you think?

 **Black Cat** : It's fine for me

 **Ladybug:** See you later! ≧ω≦

As the clock slowly ticked towards midnight, Hayami reflected on her first school day. She'd made pretty good progress with working with Chiba, and she liked to think that she would become a good gun user in the future if she worked hard. The future didn't seem as bleak as it did, even with the prospect of literally everyone dying.

"It's time, Rinka-chi," Tikki mentioned after a quick glimpse of the clock.

"Yeah, it's time," Hayami agreed. "Tikki, spots on!"

The transformed girl leapt out of her apartment to face the nighttime streets, as she embarked on another journey to face her many other obstacles.

* * *

 **A/N: *rises from grave* AAHHH IT'S ABOUT TIME I UPDATED**

 **Sorry for the late update; school's been taking a toll on me. I had no idea school would be this time and effort consuming. To be honest, I don't even know when I'll update but I guess you can follow me assclass-conspiracies on tumblr because I do post Which Partner stuff there sometimes :D**

 **I swear, miscommunication is going to kill these two sooner or later, even without all that love square stuff. And congrats to Karasuma for being the first person that's not completely blind. Also, sorry for the OOC in the balcony scene but aaaaaah I love Hayami/ Black Cat fluff so much :D**

 **The new Miraculous Ladybug Season 2 episodes did reveal a bit on the way miraculouses work, but since I developed this story before I knew about all the info, miraculous lore here will slightly deviate from canon. I'm sorry for the confusion, so here are some ground rules in the Which Partner? Universe:**

 **1\. Current miraculous holders can never be akumatized. But if they renounce their miraculouses, even temporarily, they will be at risk.**

 **2\. Miraculouses (eg. the earrings, the ring) cannot be akumatized items.**

 **Here are also some of my headcanons for the butterfly miraculous that apply to this story:**

 **1\. Multiple akumas can exist at the same time if their akumatized items were not destroyed.**

 **2\. Therefore, Kochou can control multiple akumas at the same time, but it is very energy draining for him.**

 **3\. Creating akumas and making them follow his orders tire Kochou out, and that is why he doesn't spam create akumas. Additional, Kochou may have difficulty controlling akumas with strong independent will, which is dangerous.**

 **4\. Akumas will not lose their powers if Kochou detransforms while they were akumatized.**

 **5\. Kochou cannot communicate with akumas while he is detransformed.**

 **Also, for those who wonder how did Tikki pour water in the cup noodle, there's a kind of water boiler (?) which stores hot water and if you press a button some water just goes vertically down into whatever you place below it. (I based this on an appliance in my kitchen, lol.)**

 **And here we have replies to reviews! Thank you so much for them, it's absolutely lovely to see you guys here! Thanks for supporting me!**

 _ **foxchick1**_ **: Well… you never know who's Kochou… he can be *coughcough* anyone *coughcough* I think Gakuho makes a really good butterfly miraculous holder. He's brilliant at discovering strengths and weaknesses of people, and he's really skilled at emotional manipulation :0**

 _ **Autistic-Grizzly:**_ **Thanks! You're so sweet :) I checked your profile and you seem to really love superheroes :D Glad that you like this fic! I'm not really stressed over writing, it's just school… which sucks… but thanks for your concern!**

 _ **Guest:**_ **Haha thanks! Yeah… I've been waiting for Island Arc and its… content ;) for too long… lol**

 _ **DreamDuelist:**_ **Hehe, I always thought Mama Asano would be OP like her husband and son. Also yeah, our protags here will be/ are already under quite a lot of pressure. It's lovely to see you thinking ahead about the bomb incident :D I'll address it probably next chapter. Again, thanks for your long and thoughtful reviews!**

 _ **ToadetteIsMyCaptain:**_ **yeeeeee tumblr! Aaah thanks for your comments! Also ChibaHaya forever XD**

 **Also, we've reached 5000 views! Thank you so much! Thanks for waiting for this chapter, and please tell me what you think! XD**


	15. Delinquents and Dangers

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. Some quotes are from one of the translated versions of the Assassination Classroom manga.**

* * *

 **A/N: Karma is referred to as "Akabane" before he's officially introduced. This is because Chiba and Hayami, the main "narrators" of this story, have not met Karma yet, and therefore would not know his preference to be called by his given name.**

* * *

The cold morning light barely shone through the broken windows of the rundown campus. The entire class was silent, heads bowed down and fingers gripping their weapons.

 _Flump, flump._

The soft pats on the floor sounded, getting closer and closer, like the impending footsteps of death.

Something slid to the door and creaked it open. A monstrous yellow creature slithered to the teacher's desk, his tentacles waving as if sending out a warning.

"We'll start homeroom," the creature began in a cheerful voice, beady eyes roaming over the class- his class. "Whoever is on duty, issue your commands."

A brief silence followed. It was a loud silence, ringing of tension and fear and anticipation.

"S-stand!"

At Nagisa's words, the entire class stood up, chairs scraping noisily against the wooden floor, their guns aimed towards their target.

"At attention!"

Chiba's fingers locked onto the trigger. His heart was pumping quickly, and he forced his eyes on his target- the perfectly round yellow head with a placid smile.

This was it. The official beginning of a new era, another identity as an assassin.

" _Bow!"_

The bullets flew, hurtling towards the creature, who continued to smile, then dodged them with infuriating ease. Chiba worked furiously, squinting at the flash of yellow in front of him. He was careful not to shoot his classmates.

None of the bullets had hit the creature yet. Chiba's eyes narrowed in determination. He and Hayami had spent the most time practicing shooting out of their classmates, so they should have the best chances of scoring a hit. Besides, at least he had _some_ experience in seeing how fast the creature could move, as he briefly fought with him as Black Cat.

As if to frustrate them further, the creature took up the challenge of taking the attendance in the midst of gunfire.

 _Dammit!_ Chiba thought as bullet after bullet missed the creature. He didn't expect the creature to be killed on the first day, but at the looks of it, they needed to work very, very hard to kill him by graduation.

After the agonizingly long yet short roll call finished, the exhausted class collapsed. Chiba stared at his rifle. Apparently their tactic of "simultaneous automatic firing at the target" didn't work, and according to what the creature had said, their plans were too simplistic and lacked individual thought. He sure gave a lot of killing advice for someone who was a target for assassination. Chiba didn't know what to make of this immensely powerful creature who kept on claiming he wouldn't do any damage.

Chiba took a quick glance at Hayami. He was beginning to feel some sort of shame from always looking at Hayami, but he convinced himself this time he was only looking at her to see her reaction to their first assassination attempt. Hayami was shaking her wrist. She didn't seem to be doing much better than him.

"Class is starting," the creature continued in an obnoxiously bright voice. "Let's tidy up the gun barrels and bullets."

The class collectively let out a soft sigh, but tidied up nonetheless. The old wooden floor was littered with pink bullets, and the students had to maneuver carefully as not to trip over them. Chiba was deep in thought, trying to analyze how a bullet could go faster. The wind direction and speed was of course crucial, and as the gun model, but even if these conditions were perfect, there was no way the bullet could be faster than the reaction speed of the creature. Unless the creature happened to be distracted-

"For you."

Chiba blinked, and stared at the broom in front of him, than up at the hand and body that was holding it. Short purple hair and cut bangs, and narrowed eyes judged him curiously.

Ah. He knew her name. She was Fuwa, a rather… quirky manga fan who had a habit of exclaiming weird things. An enthusiastic fan of the superheroes (and oddly enough, the akumas too).

Another awkward second passed, and Chiba finally reacted. He took the broom, uttered a quick "thanks", and spun away immediately, embarrassed by the whole ordeal.

"I don't even know why the author wrote me in this," Chiba distantly heard Fuwa mutter. Oh, she was weird all right.

Chiba started to sweep the bullets away, which wasn't really tedious if the entire class was doing the same thing. Chiba instinctively avoided the area where Fuwa was, which was coincidentally where Hayami was. Probably better to avoid them both as Chiba knew he would do something stupid and Fuwa would make some comment on "emo manga boys".

Sometimes Chiba wondered why things had escalated to this point. Things were already hectic with his superhero duties, and now he had to lead a double - triple life. Well, he couldn't complain. After all, the class would be rewarded with ten billion yen if they succeeded in killing the creature. Chiba was by all means not a greedy or materialistic person, but he knew that was a gigantic sum of money. After all, they were class 3-E, the bunch of misfits; they surely wouldn't get a good job or a good life with their current state.  
After the class swept the bullets away, the first lesson started. To Chiba's surprise, the creature didn't seem like a bad teacher. Unlike the teachers at the main campus, he engaged with his students instead of droning on. He also seemed to genuinely care for them (despite his claims to destroy the entire Earth a year later), and forbade them from using guns in class as the bullets might hurt themy.

Yes, the lessons were somewhat easygoing, but Chiba was constantly on the edge, terrified that the creature would discover his identity.

Chiba knew the creature claimed he wasn't on Kochou's side, but those few simple words could not win Chiba's trust. Ladybug probably wasn't anyone he knew in civilian life unless Chiba was very, very blind, so he was comforted that he didn't know Ladybug's identity. He couldn't (and wouldn't) sell her out, but his family and literally everyone he knew in his civilian life could be in danger. This was a risk he and Ladybug had accepted the moment they chose to take their miraculouses.

Every time the creature walked (read: slithered) past him, Chiba instinctively shivered. The creature had promised the government not to harm the students, but there was no guarantee for anyone else. Therefore Chiba had to do his best to stop the creature before he found out his secrets. He had to protect his loved ones at any costs.

Even if it meant he had to be a killer.

* * *

The lunch bell rang after several periods. They were a bit like Aguri's lessons, fun and interactive, and ultimately less stressful than the lessons on the main campus. The creature announced he would "quickly pop over" to a bakery in France for some fresh pastries, and immediately zoomed off at Mach speed, leaving the class alone.

Hayami's sharp green eyes roamed over the class. They all seemed to be overwhelmed by the strangeness of their new creature, an example being Maehara, who was rubbing his eyes dazedly. Nakamura was sprawled on her desk, idly swinging her legs.

"That was one hell of a lesson!" Nakamura muttered, yawning in between her words.

"There's no way we can kill that _thing_!" Okajima exclaimed from Hayami's right. Several students nodded in agreement.

Hayami couldn't say Okajima was wrong, but she couldn't say he was right either. They had just had the creature for a day, and she knew their first assassination was admittedly a basic one. As superhuman as the creature seemed to be, he had to have some weaknesses, like how she, as Ladybug, was weakened by cold, and Black Cat by water. Interestingly, from her seat, Hayami could observe Nagisa jotting down notes in a small notebook during class. Sugino mentioned Nagisa was marking down facts about the teacher, which they could later possibly use to their advantage. So maybe, _maybe_ , their ridiculous assassination mission might not be as ridiculous as it seemed.

"Hello, may I have everyone's attention please?"

Pairs of eyes snapped to Isogai and Kataoka, the class representatives, standing behind the teacher's desk, with serious expressions on their faces. Most students hushed down, the exception being the gang of students known as the "Terasaka gang" near the back. Maehara boisterously "shhh"ed them and they finally, albeit unwillingly, quieted down.

"I know we're all hungry for lunch, but we need to discuss something important during our target's absence," Kataoka began.

Isogai faced his class squarely. "Should we ask Ladybug and Black Cat for help?"

Enthusiastic murmurings broke out among the class. Surely they were wondering why the heroes had a part to play in this. Hayami felt a little dread creep down her spine.

"Karasuma-san told us he had informed our local superheroes of our new threat," Isogai explained. "And the superheroes had agreed to assist us if we ask them. They said they would not do anything unless other innocent civilians are involved. Additionally, Black Cat believes his Cataclysm can kill the creature with one touch."

"But he's not fast enough," someone mentioned.

"That's probably true," Kataoka agreed. "But we think it would do us good to have a meeting with them as to establish closer connections. What are your opinions?"

"Question!" Maehara piped up. "Won't we get less reward money if the heroes help us with assassinating the creature?"

"Oh, come on," Okano snapped. "The world is ending, and money is your only concern? It's not like they'll take all of the reward money."

"I, for one, think it's beneficial for us to meet with Black Cat and Ladybug," Yada said with a smile. "It's always better to have someone to back us up."

"I agree! Maybe we can cooperate to kill the creature together!" Kurahashi chimed in.

Nakamura furrowed her eyebrows. "As much as I'm a fan of them both, I'm not too keen on them interfering with our business. This is _our_ task, not theirs. We get to deal with the creature and the reward money, okay?"

"Imma stop you right there," Okajima spoke up immediately. "The heroes are the only known confirmed magic users that'll help us. At least we'll have something supernatural against the superhuman. They are a valuable asset, and it wouldn't do anyone any harm if we met up with them." His eyes were wide, challenging Nakamura.

"They may be good at defeating akumas, but how about killing?" Nakamura fired back. "Y'know, if we let the heroes help us, we might as well partner with every single organization in the world to kill the creature. Our 3-E, our assassination classroom, will feel kind of pointless. Do you want that, huh?" she spat out the last sentence.

Throughout this conversation, Mimura's eyes flitted from Nakamura to Okajima, to Nakamura again. As if he couldn't take it anymore, Mimura quietly said, "Please stop arguing, both of you!"

Surprised by the pleasant Mimura's uncharacteristic behavior, the duo abruptly stopped talking, and shot each other somewhat apologetic looks. The class sank into a thick silence.

"Let's not argue among ourselves," Isogai reminded the class in a clear, authoritative voice. "Anyone else have anything to say?"

"I guess we can meet up with them," Nakamura said. "But who's going to do the job?"

Isogai and Kataoka shared a look. "We're both going, and we think a few more students can join us. The meeting will probably be held after school. Who's free and interested?"

"Can I go?" Kimura spoke up unexpectedly. When faced with the curious looks of his classmates, Kimura said, "I want to know what they'll do if our teacher threatens the civilians."

Most people in the class knew that Kimura's parents were police officers, especially now that an unfortunate scandal concerning Kimura's father, a policeman, had arose. It was on the newspapers, but no one really mentioned the incident in front of him as Kimura seemed uncomfortable with it.

"Sure," Isogai smiled genially at Kimura.

Nakamura's hand raised up lazily. "I want to go too," she stated. "I promise I'll behave and not ask stupid questions."

The two class representatives exchanged a look. "Alright, but don't speak rudely to them," Kataoka finally said.

"Oy, Rinka-chan." Hayami suddenly felt someone poking her arm. She glanced down at the blonde in front of her, who had turned around to whisper. "You wanna go with me?"

"Sorry, but no." Hayami's answer was short and direct. No amount of pestering from Nakamura or anyone could persuade her to join a meeting with the superheroes aka. herself. She knew she had to escape quickly after school without anyone suspecting where her civilian identity was.

Hayami was already nervous about the meeting. She'd managed to act professional around adults, but kids of her own age? And her very own classmates that she knew? Hayami had to try hard to prevent the conversation from going awkward.

The class' discussion ended quickly, and they were told not to talk about it in front of their teacher. Soon, when the creature returned, class resumed as normal.

Everyone was a bit sleepy after lunch, even the superhuman creature. When he tasked them to do some work, he sat on a chair and became very still with a sleepy smile on his face. Hayami saw Nagisa quickly scribbling a few words on his notebook. She shot a glance over the classroom and realized she wasn't the only one who'd spotted the chink in the creature's armour. Hazama had hidden a pistol on her lap, but she would probably be scolded if she shot.

A slithery sound from the front woke them with a start. The creature stood up and began to patrol down the aisles. The atmosphere instantly changed from a quiet, sleepy one to one full of danger and tension. Nagisa immediately slipped his notebook back into his drawer and ducked his head. Hayami's muscles stiffened and she turned back to her work.

The creature started to approach her row. Remembering the creature's acute sense of smell, Hayami's breath caught in her throat. She dearly hoped her perfume was enough to muffle her Ladybug scent. The last thing she wanted was her identity exposed to one of the most, if not _the_ most powerful being in the world.

The creature caught Okano's flying knife with a grin and casually avoided Nakamura's stabs, all done at Mach speed. Hayami gulped upon seeing his flawless response to stealth attacks. As the yellow creature went past her, Hayami swore she felt that infuriating beady stare on her head, or more specifically, on her black earrings. Then that feeling quickly vanished and the creature moved on. Hayami suddenly had the urge to touch her earrings to make sure they were still there. Her dastardly imagination began to conjure up visions in a frenzy; her mother and her friends' lives being threatened, her earrings being stolen, and helplessly watching Black Cat fend for himself against a ladybug miraculous bearing Kochou-

A cough in the room brought her back to the land of the living.

For a second or two, she completely forgot what she had been doing. She stared at her piece of paper, hunting for a memory. She had been so distracted by her wild and untrue scenarios! There was nothing to worry about at the moment. Her identity was still safe and her miraculous still belonged to her.

The rest of the school day sped past them. A couple ambitious students tried to shoot the creature the moment class ended, but the creature avoided them with a bright grin and instructed the students to clean up the bullets.

"I guess it's not use," Nakamura sighed and tossed her gun back in her drawer. "We need a new tactic. He's simply too fast."

"What are we gonna doooooo?" Okajima whined.

"I think we need to observe our target for a while before we act," Isogai said. His calm, authoritative voice caught the attention of the class, and managed to bring some steadiness in their chaotic lives. Isogai turned to face the class. "I'm going out for some knife work practice. Who's with me?"

* * *

The first week of school had always felt strange and surreal to Hayami. It was a bridging period between holidays and school, and even the most prepared had to struggle to get back into their working mode. There were new classmates and new students to get used to, and new things to learn. Hayami felt like she was thrown into an alternate dimension where neither rest nor work existed, just fast-paced yet slow lessons.

This confusion was further emphasized with the coming of their weird octopus teacher and their assassination classroom, complete with flying bullets and angsty delinquents.

They all fought for some stability, but with the unpredictable creature and his unorthodox teaching methods, it was difficult make sense of everything. Soon they just kind of rolled along with their situation.

After a while, Hayami found herself settling into a schedule. Schoolwork, shooting practice, akuma fights, rinse and repeat. She even got into her old habit of looking out for more depressed students to hopefully prevent them from being akumatized.

As Hayami looked around the classroom, she realized Takebayashi was still as gloomy as always. Hayami suspected Takebayashi had always had a negative aura around him even before his akumatization. But he seemed to be doing fine.

Nagisa became Nakamura's new victim, and was constantly teased by her. Although Nagisa sometimes yelled in protest, he didn't seem to be really affected. The short, sweet-looking Nagisa also seemed susceptible to bullying, but thankfully his best friend Sugino was always there for Nagisa. Hayami didn't have much to worry.

There was a new student in their class too, a cute, cheerful girl by the name of Kayano Kaede. With her bubbly personality, Hayami wasn't worried about her not fitting in at all. Kayano quickly became friends with Nagisa and Sugino, and had pretty good relations with the class representatives. In fact, her rapid progress with her peers was making Hayami feel self-conscious, as she was miles behind Kayano despite knowing over half of her classmates before 3-E.

As Hayami looked further, she glimpsed Terasaka staring at the creature with much interest, a little smirk on his face. It seemed like a plan was brewing in his head.

Hayami didn't like to admit it, but she was a little scared of Terasaka and his gang of friends. They were always so loud and brute-like to her. Perhaps their raw power could be beneficial to assassinations, but Hayami didn't want to interact with them outside of work. She had always instinctively kept her distance. They seemed to be the example of a typical delinquent gang. And Hayami didn't want anything to do with delinquents. She hoped they won't harass and bully her and her classmates.

Another figure she was afraid of was absent. She knew who that empty seat behind Chiba belonged to. Everyone in the class knew.

Akabane Karma.

The infamous delinquent with godly grades and an infuriating personality. Hayami heard he was suspended because he got into a fight with the seniors. The rumours claimed he was violent and extremely talented at fighting. Above all, he was known for his sadistic and malicious personality. He was essentially the devil.

Like Terasaka and his buddies, Hayami could see the killing potential in Akabane. Problem was, the whole class was terrified of him.

Hayami didn't want to _think_ of what would happen when Akabane joined their class.

The shrill sound of the lunch bell invaded her ears, followed by a collective clatter of books and pencils on the desks. Excited murmurs stirred in the class like a warm spring breeze, and many of them reached into their bags for their lunches.

Their yellow-headed teacher closed his textbook with a grin. "It's lunchtime! Sensei's going to China to eat Mapo tofu. If there's anyone that would like to assassinate me, please call my cell."

Once the teacher went out, the students started to rearrange their desks so they could eat with their friends. Several students started to comment on the creature's teaching capabilities, and all thought he was a pretty decent teacher even when they were trying to kill him. Hayami privately thought the same, but she was still a little afraid of the creature. Out of pure habit, Hayami brushed a casual finger towards her earrings to make sure they were solid. It was probably a stupid and over-the-top move, but Hayami wasn't going to take any chances. She slipped Tikki some chocolate wafers in her bag and took out her bento.

The rest of lunch passed uneventfully (the only moderately interesting thing was seeing Yada stutter a bit when Kataoka talked to her). Hayami decided to walk around the campus to see if there were any good spots for sneak attacks. She wasn't keen on having someone tagging alone, so she went solo.

Hayami stepped on the planks and winced when they creaked under her feet. The campus was really rundown and they didn't even have an air conditioner. With the added spring humidity, everything felt soggy and icky. Hayami ran her hands over the walls and looked up to the wooden beams above. She wondered if they were stable enough to support a person (like Okano) so they could drop from the ceiling and attack the creature.

"Despite what they look, the wood's still in pretty good condition."

Hayami spun to see Chiba behind her, who had apparently read her mind. He was holding a long ruler in his hand.

"My father works in a construction company," Chiba explained. "He taught me about safety and the different conditions of building materials. I tested some of the supporting beams a few days ago and they were okay. Some planks and parts of the ceiling were rotten though."

Chiba reached up and tapped the wood with his ruler. "See? They're not soft or flaking or brittle. I took some photos and asked my dad, and he said the wood seemed to be of a high quality, so that's why it's still standing now. I would still need to do some calculations to find out if we can hang something from those beams."

"Wow. That's impressive." Hayami was genuinely surprised by Chiba's extensive knowledge.

"A-ah, I'm just doing what I can to help the class." A nervous Chiba waved his hands in vague way.

After Chiba left, Hayami glimpsed a flash of light blue outside the building. She peered through a window and saw Nagisa outside. But that wasn't what concerned her.

Nagisa was talking to Terasaka and a few of his friends. There was a slightly nervous look on his face. Alarm bells immediately rang in Hayami's system, and she instinctively clutched the window ledge, white knuckles showing her anxiety. Was Nagisa in danger?

She watched as Terasaka's face loomed threateningly in front of Nagisa. Terasaka brandished a rubber knife right in front of Nagisa's eyes. Was Terasaka threatening Nagisa? Then Yoshida and Muramatsu, Terasaka's buddies, walked around and blocked Hayami's view. When they left, Hayami could see Nagisa staring at a small bag dangling from his hand. Before Hayami could suspect what it was, their teacher zoomed in front of Nagisa and greeted him. He was holding a missile in his hands, which was unexpected but Hayami was starting to get used to the absurdity of their teacher.

Hayami still did not fully trust the teacher, but she believed he did care for their class and would help the students. Perhaps Nagisa could tell their teacher about whatever that had happened with Terasaka.

But still, when Nagisa walked passed Hayami, Hayami felt the need to make sure he was okay.

"Nagisa?"

He turned. "Hayami-san?"

Nagisa's eyes had always looked so calm and cool. If he had been scared by Terasaka, he didn't show it.

"I saw you with Terasaka and his friends outside. Did something happen?"

"Ah, it's nothing." Nagisa smiled. "He just wanted to talk about assassination." When he caught sight of Hayami's expression, he hastily continued, "There's nothing wrong, please don't worry."

"Alright," Hayami said. She wasn't really convinced, but she chose not to pry.

The last lesson of the day was Japanese. Normally, Hayami liked this lesson as it was one of her best subjects. But today, the teacher assigned them some interesting classwork.

"Let's try writing Tanka poems based on a theme," the creature blithely waved its tentacles as if to show off their flexibility. "Please end it with 'tentacles' in the last seven syllables."

The entire class stared at their octopus teacher, wondering if they'd heard him correctly. But knowing their teacher, he _would_ probably assign something as ridiculous as that.

"Once you have written one, bring it up to me. I'll check it for proper grammar and spelling and to see if you were able to express tentacles in a beautiful way," the teacher continued, either blissfully ignorant to his pupils' stunned reaction or simply chose to ignore it. "Those who can finish can go home for today!"

Hayami idly wondered how one could express tentacles in a beautiful way. "Is 'tentacles' a seasonal word?" she mused under her breath.

"Who knows," Okajima muttered back.

The class lapsed into silence, the only sound being the scritch-scratch of pens. Hayami was aware someone (Kayano, probably) had asked a question, but she had tuned out most of it. Hayami was too busy brainstorming up a poem about tentacles.

Hayami heard a chair being pushed back, then their teacher saying "finished already, Nagisa-kun?". Hayami's first thought was _wow, he's fast,_ then she looked up and immediately saw that jarring green knife hiding behind Nagisa's work. _Assassination._ So it was another attempt. Instantly, Hayami tensed in anticipation.

Smart of him to do that after lunch, when their teacher's face turned pink and became sleepy. Hayami wondered if that was what Terasaka had told him at lunch. But Nagisa had probably figured it out way before Terasaka.

Nagisa took steps towards the unsuspecting target. By that point, Hayami assumed a good portion of the class knew what Nagisa was going to do. She could feel something swelling in their tiny classroom, as everyone silently cheered Nagisa on and waited with bated breaths-

He struck.

Of course, the teacher dodged. But before either of them could react, Nagisa flung out his arms towards the teacher, almost as if hugging him…

Then the explosion.

An ear splitting explosion of pink bullets that rained down on the students like hail. Hayami's superhero instincts got better of her and she immediately ducked under her desk. Her heart pounded in an erratic fashion. _What had just happened? What did Nagisa do?_ The sound of an explosion was almost enough to trigger her to transform, but she saw Tikki by her feet, her blue eyes staring at her, conveying a single message: _don't._

Unexpected boisterous cheer rose from a gang of students. "Alright, we did it!" declared Terasaka triumphantly and leapt out of his seat. Hayami's raging green eyes snapped towards the offending student. "That ten billion is ours!" he continued to cheer. Muramatsu and Yoshida followed Terasaka to the front of class, whooping. Fury rose inside Hayami, her veins trembling with hot anger. She stood up without even realizing it, too consumed by her emotions. How dare they-

"Hold on, Terasaka, just what did you make Nagisa hold on to?!" the usually good-mannered Kayano barked, her hands clenched into tiny fists.

"Hm?" Terasaka turned and smirked wickedly. "A toy hand grenade."

The effect his words had on the class was instantaneous. Many of gasped in shock, refusing to believe someone would put one of their classmates in grave danger.

"It's just that I used gunpowder to give it a kick in order to shoot out three hundred anti-sensei bullets at an insanely fast speed," Terasaka continued, almost proud of his terrible actions.

"But won't that hurt Nagisa?" an almost unfamiliar voice broke out sharply. All eyes snapped to the speaker. Hayami was surprised to find out it was Chiba. He usually spoke in such a soft and quiet tone and it was so uncharacteristic for him to raise his voice. It was a bit scary.

Terasaka shrugged, seemingly nonplussed. "It ain't enough power to kill a human."

Unspeakable disgust trembled inside Hayami. So it didn't matter so long an innocent classmate wasn't _dead_? What if he was hurt? Traumatized? Hit on the head? Got into a coma? Did any of it matter to Terasaka?

Terasaka looked around the room, grunting at their faces. "Come on, I'll pay for his medical fees."

"It's still not right to do that," Hayami spoke up dangerously, ignoring the stares from everyone "You're just taking advantage of someone."

"Pfft!" Terasaka chortled, obviously unbothered. His lazy, arrogant eyes roamed over Chiba and Hayami. "Who do you think you are, superheroes?" He then strode towards Nagisa. A curious transparent sheet of something was on him.

Hayami finally saw Nagisa. He seemed to be alive and uninjured, and covered by some membrane?

"By the way, sensei molts about once a mouth," a disembodied, eerily familiar voice floated towards them. Everybody turned to see their teacher sticking onto the ceiling with an expression they had never seen him wear before. As he explained how he managed to save Nagisa in the same serious, eerie voice, Hayami felt herself instinctively recoiling from their usually cheerful teacher who now reminded them of the immense power he had in his grisp.

The teacher's face was terrifyingly pitch black, face contorted in fury, with veins popping out on his head.

The teacher then zoomed off and returned with a huge gust of wind, a pile of something in his tentacles. As they spilled out of his grip, the class realized they were the nameplates from their houses.

A paralyzing chill went down Hayami's spine. So this creature knew where she lived… and he knew where everyone in this class lived… there was no escape.

"Due to my agreement with the government, I cannot inflict harm on any of you," the creature boomed. "But if you come to kill me next time using the same method as just now, I don't know what will happen to anyone who isn't any of you."

The nameplates clattered to the ground. Hayami was starting to feel ill. She knew she would _never_ stoop as low as to intentionally have someone be seriously hurt for assassination, but now she clearly knew the teacher was overwhelmingly overpowered and could crush everybody she had ever loved in less than a second.

The creature continued his threatening speech. "Your friends and family… no, maybe I will eliminate everyone on earth except for you."

Hayami's scared eyes roamed around the class. They all had similar terrified and frozen faces. And that was the moment they all knew what they were really getting into. With a certain degree of satisfaction, Hayami saw that the Terasaka gang were all pale and trembling hard with unadulterated fear.

Thankfully enough, the creature calmed down and went back to his normal blithe self. He advised them to use their hidden strengths to kill him, and then to purely show off, told them if any of the students could kill him, they could go home early. But according to the infuriating green stripes on his face, it was virtually impossible. He was just saying it to annoy them.

"An unkillable teacher…" Kayano thought out loud, tapping her chin. "Ah. For your name… how about Korosensei?"

"That's a pretty good name, Kayano," Isogai smiled encouragingly. Other students also nodded, agreeing with Isogai. Hayami privately thought it was a good name too, but she didn't nod.

"So Korosensei it is!" the newly named creature declared with a flourish. "Nice to meet you all!"

 _Yeah… Korosensei._ Hayami turned the word over in her mind. A little smirk graced her lips. _I hope we can kill you soon..._

* * *

Black Cat wasn't looking forward to meeting the representatives of his class.

It wasn't like he disliked them or had anything against them, but he knew it would just be super awkward.

A week or so had passed since the official start of school. No one had made much progress, but they were all doing their best. They were taking Korosensei's advice of making use of their talents, such as when Sugino tried a baseball assassination, but somehow ended up being felt up (Black Cat wasn't too sure of the story either, having heard it from Sugaya and Okajima).

The class had scheduled the meeting half an hour after school ended, which gave Chiba plenty of time to run away and transform. But as he had nothing to do, he was currently sitting on a rock in the forest next to the 3-E campus. The quiet trickling of the stream beside him lured him into a peaceful trance, and he idly wondered what Ladybug was up to. She was probably still at her school (wherever that was) as there were still fifteen minutes before their meeting time.

His baton suddenly rang. Black Cat swiped the screen to see Ladybug calling him.

"Hello?"

"Ah, Black Cat? Good; you're already transformed."

"Are you coming?"

"Yeah. Are you at the forest behind the campus?"

"Yes, I'll send you my location."

The call ended. Black Cat observed his surroundings, and wondered if an assassination in this forest would be feasible. In fact, it would probably be encouraged as the forest provided shelter and camouflage. Black Cat had a sneaking intuition that Sugaya could definitely pull camouflage off. It certainly was useful to have a skilled artist in their class.

A whooshing sound in the trees caught his attention, and he looked up to see Ladybug. She landed gracefully by him. Black Cat wished he was as agile as her, but even with his stretching practices, he was still nowhere near her. But Ladybug did say she had an advantage as she had been taking dance practices ever since she was a kid.

"Good afternoon," Ladybug said.

"Good afternoon," Black Cat greeted in return. There was a short pause as he hunted for a conversation starter.

"I guess your school's pretty close to here." Ladybug sat down next to him in the shade.

 _Wow, she's starting small talk,_ Black Cat thought. "Not really, but thankfully the teacher let out us early. How about you?"

Ladybug hmmed. "Same case. So, I think our views towards this creature and the assassination hasn't changed."

"We'll give the same statement," Black Cat agreed. "Do you think they already have a plan for us up their sleeve?"

(In fact, Black Cat already knew the answer. But he wanted to see what Ladybug thought of the situation.)

"Well," Ladybug said skeptically. "I don't know. Maybe they have a vague idea. Maybe they just want to see what we think."

Ladybug started to play with a few pebbles she found to the stream. Black Cat had known some time ago that Ladybug liked to fidget when she was bored or agitated. For example, he had seen her tear the paper wrapping off an empty packet of juice during patrol. And when investigating akumas, she often subconsciously fiddled with her yoyo. Black Cat thought it was a good way of getting rid of nervous energy and preparing for attacks at the same time, but unlike Ladybug, his instinct reaction to stress was to freeze and observe.

Ladybug tossed the pebbles in the water, each one making a refreshing splash sound. Black Cat's eyes absentmindedly followed the trajectory of the pebble.

Ladybug must had realized he was watching, as she awkwardly stopped her movements and folded her hands over her lap. She also purposely turned her head to the other side, so Black Cat couldn't see her face.

Funny. Black Cat discovered sometimes Ladybug liked to intentionally avoid him. Maybe she felt embarrassed? Maybe she was nervous around him? Black Cat wasn't offended by it though, as he knew Ladybug respected and liked him. But it still made him a bit on edge. Did he do something to make her uncomfortable? Like when they first met, she was a bit wary of him, and probably thought he was kind of creepy.

Black Cat couldn't understand Ladybug. In retrospect, he was terrible at understanding people in general. At times, Ladybug could be really nice and smile a lot around him, and even pet his head. But other times, she seemed determined to ignore him and turned away from him, both physically and metaphorically. They still worked great as partners and honestly, Black Cat was already grateful for that.

When the time was up, the two heroes approached the campus. Other than the group of Isogai, Kataoka, Nakamura, and Kimura, Karasuma, the government officier, was also there, arms crossed and silently watching over them like a hawk.

Black Cat shivered slightly when he felt Karasuma's eyes on him. He somehow had the feeling that Karasuma was seeing through his mask and on the verge of figuring out who he was. He trusted Karasuma, but he didn't want his identity to be so easily found out.

The meeting went by smoothly. True to her word, Nakamura behaved in a more polite way, although she still slipped back into her teasing self occasionally. The heroes fell in step with the other classmates and let Isogai and Kataoka conduct the meeting. Talking to his classmates in costume felt rather surreal to Black Cat, so he avoided eye contact with them. However, it was interesting to note their different reactions to being around him and Ladybug.

Black Cat could see Kimura was a big superhero fan although he tried to tone it down. Kimura's eyes practically lit up and he bounced on the soles of his feet excitedly throughout the meeting. And there was something about the admiring tone in his voice that gave him away. Black Cat supposed Kimura, the son of police officers, would feel strongly towards the concept of justice.

Nakamura, like always, acted casually as if she had personally known the heroes for a long time. Nevertheless, she was still rather enthusiastic and made little comments on the heroes' supposed romantic relationship. They ignored her.

Isogai was a bit more familiar with them as the heroes had asked him for help during the Evillustrator incident. He was friendly and polite, which made Black Cat feel at ease with him. Kataoka was pretty much the same, but she was more practical and direct than Isogai. Black Cat suddenly had a weird feeling that Kataoka would make a pretty good Ladybug in an alternate universe.

The heroes basically told them what they had decided earlier on and asked if there was anything they could do to help.

Nakamura had then pointedly, bluntly, asked the heroes not to snatch their reward money. Kataoka stepped hard on Nakamura's foot. Kimura coughed tactically to hopefully muffle the blow.

"We don't want profit. We don't want the reward money. The greatest reward is the safety of the people," Ladybug said smoothly. It was a ridiculously cheesy and generic reply, but it was honestly what they felt.

"Spoken like true heroes," Isogai marvelled. "Anyways, we haven't quite figured out how to kill Korosensei- that's the name we gave him- but we'll contact you if we think you can be of assistance."

"One question," Black Cat said. "How exactly will you communicate with us?"

Kataoka turned to Karasuma, and nodded briefly. "Karasuma-san will organize potential meetings for us."

That made sense to the heroes, as they both remembered how Karasuma had informed them about Korosensei's existence on behalf of the government.

"I think that's about it," Kataoka finished brightly. "Do you have any questions?"

They didn't, so they said goodbye to the students and left the campus. The late afternoon sky was faintly misty, with an air of humidity hovering above the ground. Black Cat's stomach suddenly rumbled, surprising the two of them.

He smiled sheepishly. "Guess I'm a little hungry."

"Me too," Ladybug replied. She spun to her partner. "Shall we grab a bite?"

* * *

So many things were happening at the same time. Korosensei was a fun and quirky teacher, and most the class' grades improved under his teaching. Chiba was touched by the genuine care and patience the teacher showed to all of them. Korosensei never got exasperated or frustrated when a student couldn't understand the simplest of concepts. Korosensei was willing to use his time to craft individual questions for each and every one of his students. And Korosensei was always encouraging and kept a sunny disposition, which greatly cheered up the dreary atmosphere in 3-E.

It was pity they had to kill him.

Ever since Karasuma came to teach as their PE teacher, Chiba felt more… professional. Granted, Chiba knew he was nowhere near a professional, but Karasuma's lessons gave him a clearer direction to what he was supposed to do. Like how he and Hayami stayed back for shooting practices now, as they had assigned themselves (and had been assigned by everyone in general) as the snipers of the class. Karasuma saw the potential in his two students and immediately suggested them to work together to better develop their skills. According to Karasuma, Chiba had the stability and accuracy, while Hayami had the flexibility and reflexes.

Chiba was understandably terrified yet ecstatic at the prospect of working with Hayami in the long run. He was going to spend time working productively while being with Hayami the whole time! They might even get to know each other better! While Chiba had zero (0) thoughts or fantasies on asking Hayami out, he was keen on being closer friends with her. He hoped his crush on her would be watered down so he could act normal around her, but knowing his history, his feelings would probably just intensify.

But there were more problems then assassinations and crushes and sniping. Akabane Karma, the person (was he a person or a demon? Chiba couldn't tell) supposedly sitting behind him, would return from his suspension. According to rumours, Akabane had been informed of the assassination and used to be friends with… Nagisa. Yes, Chiba found that surprising. How could someone as calm and nice as Nagisa be _friends_ with that malicious delinquent?

Chiba witnessed Akabane's first assassination attempt, the deadly handshake. Chiba couldn't believe Korosensei actually fell for it, even if it was just for a second. Despite his nefarious personality, his smarts and ruthlessness could actually greatly help with their assassination.

Thankfully, Karma (Chiba felt awkward referring to him by his given name) didn't seem to care for him, or any other students in general. But Chiba still had to deal with Karma's crap every period, ranging from sudden gunshots behind him to saying something vaguely intimidating during class. Despite Chiba's terror, he wished Karma would sit down for one second. They were at school to learn, not to make weirdly dramatic comments on how one would kill their teacher. But Chiba had to admit, it was entertaining to see Korosensei deal with Karma, and Chiba basically had a front row seat to all of their antics. His favourite had to be when Korosensei made takoyaki out of the dead octopus Karma used a prop. Perfectly fine seafood should not be wasted.

Karma didn't make any attempts to speak to Chiba, which was fine by him. Until one chemistry lesson.

Chiba had always felt awkward in his chemistry group. He got along fine with Hayami and Okajima, but Hayami and Okajima did _not_ get along with each other. Okuda, the genius chemist, was very, very shy, even shyer than Chiba himself, which was quite a feat. Okuda seemed to be quite terrified of everyone, especially Hayami for some reason. Chiba did his best to be encouraging, but everytime he spoke, Okuda would look away fearfully. Chiba soon gave up to make the situation less weird.

Things got weirder when Karma entered. Everybody instinctively avoided him, but Karma acted as nonchalant as always. He struck up a conversation with the most unlikely- the withdrawn Okuda, and they talked for a short while about poisons. It quickly ended when it was apparent Okuda didn't like talking much.

As the group prepared the apparatus for an experiment, Chiba noticed Karma chilling by the side. He was decidedly uninvolved in the group. Before Chiba could decide whether to reprimand him or not, Karma said, "Hey, Chiba-kun, that's your name right?"

Shocked that the devil was speaking to him, Chiba nodded mutely.

"Ah, I noticed you finished your math quiz rather quickly." They had maths before chemistry. Karma leaned casually on the table, eyes fixated on Chiba. "What did you think about it?"

Chiba couldn't believe it. A civil, normal, math-related conversation with the dangerous delinquent?

"It was okay," he answered honestly. "I wasn't so sure about question 8 though. I got a really weird number."

"Same for me," Karma replied, and Chiba looked up, regarding Karma with new interest. "I hadn't seen that question type before, and it was a bit challenging, but it didn't take me long to figure it out. I got- lemme see- 0.371 or something."

"Hey! I got 0.371 too," Chiba couldn't help but say. Something inside him made him ask, "What method did you use?"

They idly chatted about maths and shared their methods. Chiba had tried several methods before he got the answer, while Karma had only tried one and it was much faster than any of Chiba's methods. Chiba steadfastly kept to the traditional methods he had been taught, while Karma opted to break out from the box and think from another perspective. Chiba had to admit, despite everything else about Karma, his flexible approach to math was admirable.

From that moment onwards, Karma and Chiba occasionally discussed difficult math problems and pooled their ideas together. Chiba was still wary about Karma, and tended to avoid him, but at least Karma was okay when they talked about maths.

Chiba let the practically impossible task of managing Karma to the class representatives, but Karma was still as unconcerned as always. Chiba guessed they would have to bear with Karma for the time being.

With various events busying him at the same time, Chiba almost forgot about the true danger- the danger of Kochou or a certain powerful being discovering his identity.

That thought crashed down on him again when he, as Black Cat, leapt into his room after patrol. He detransformed with a flash, then heard an awfully familiar voice outside his window.

"Good evening, Chiba-kun."

Human and kwami spun to see Korosensei, who was smiling genially as always. Korosensei spoke again-

"Or should I say, Black Cat?"

Plagg dropped his Camembert.

* * *

"So, you know."

Hayami stared at Korosensei with arms crossed. Tikki peeped out nervously from her shoulder.

"Ah yes, Hayami-san, I know you're Ladybug." Korosensei busied himself with sweeping dust off Hayami's room. He had suddenly appeared after Hayami finished patrol, and had caught her detransforming. Hayami couldn't deny anything.

"It was a valiant effort to disguise your scent with perfume," Korosensei grinned and said. "I'm proud of you. But, alas, I found out your identity anyway."

Hayami was still frozen with shock.

"Don't worry, I'll do my best to protect you and Black Cat from akumas and Kochou. Of course, I want you two to learn something from the akuma fights, and I don't want you to be overprotected, so I'll only intervene in critical moments."

"Wait," Hayami found herself saying. "You know who Black Cat is too?"

"Nurufufu… there are many things you don't know, young grasshopper." Korosensei looked possibly mischievous now.

Hayami sighed. "What are going to do about my identity?"

"I won't tell anyone or take your earrings, because as your teacher, it's my duty to protect you." Korosensei finished shining Hayami's desk and he hummed, satisfied. "But… if you want to be safe…"

Neon green striped over his face, and Korosensei sniggered, "You'll have to kill me. Then, the secret will die with me."

 _Of course._ Hayami glared at her teacher, knowing even if he was right in front of her nose, she still wouldn't be fast enough to hit him.

"Ahh, no need to be so serious!" Korosensei started to pinch Hayami's cheeks in a motherly way. "Y-you know I won't really hurt you, right? Right?"

Hayami remained silent throughout Korosensei's treatment. "But anyways, thanks for agreeing to help," she finally said.

"Of course. Anything for my dear students." Korosensei tipped his hat and sped away. Hayami rubbed her forehead; it had been a long day. Or night. Or whatever.

"Please tell me I hallucinated all of that," Hayami muttered to Tikki as she flung herself on her bed.

Tikki smiled wryly. "I'm afraid that was all real, Rinka-chi. But it's not a bad situation! You have arguably the world's most powerful creature on your side and even as your teacher! You'll probably learn something cool from him!"

"Thanks for that." Hayami burrowed deep into her blankets and fell asleep almost immediately. Only Tikki was awake, thinking.

Korosensei had said "anything for my dear students".

 _Students._

Plural form.

Korosensei knew. He knew everything.

Thankfully Hayami hadn't caught onto that.

* * *

Pain.

It was sharp, prickling, burning pain.

A new sort of agony that seared through her skin and throbbed from her bones, splitting every cell apart and reforming them into something new.

It was pain, pain, physical pain, emotional pain.

Worst part of it all? She had to endure it. Every day, every hour, every second.

But it would be worth it.

 _Kill him,_ the tentacles screamed into her mind every time she saw him. The impulses, the urges, shaking and trembling in her lithe body. _Kill him!_

 _Be patient,_ she had replied. _The time will come._

For now she had to wait. Put on the facade of a good little girl. The harmless sidekick, standing in Nagisa's shadow.

Time would pass, and she would find her chance.

But time would not wash away her anguish.

Her grief, her fury, her desire for revenge, they would not be gone.

All those negative emotions, churning and brewing inside her, until they were bubbling and about to burst inside of her-

She had to wait.

Bury her feelings.

Wear a mask.

But she would not forget.

" _This is for you, onee-chan."_

* * *

 **A/N: *wipes sweat off forehead* This was one hell of a chapter to write… like when you simultaneously want to write about the love square and akumas but also keep the very essence of Assassination Classroom and develop the background characters.**

 **My favourite thing about this chapter is Chiba's views on Karma. He went from "oh no Karma is so scary" to "shut up Karma I'm done with your crap" in like three seconds and I LOVE it.**

 **I don't really have much to say except school is working me like a machine. Next chapter will be an akuma chapter, soooo be prepared for some sweet action!**

 **Also, I don't know if I'd said this before, but I genuinely love the reviews you guys leave here? Like? Everyone's so supportive and into this AU and actually giving me a lot of ideas. When I feel sad, I just go to the reviews and be like "hey, someone likes and cares about my stuff!". Thank you all so so much!** ≧∇≦

 **Now, replies to reviews:**

 _ **Autistic-Grizzly**_ **: Aww thank you XD I'm glad you like my Plagg. You got your answer this chapter ;) and yeaaah Korosensei is so much fun!**

 _ **DreamDuelist**_ **: Aaaaa thank you so much! Tikki knowing about creation like how Plagg knows about destruction is a really interesting concept, but what would Tikki know about? Healing? Fixing stuff? Lol I'll see what happens :D Also yeaah Okajima's sort of creepy, I think it was established in canon that he does have a good sense of smell (I remember one scene in anime Koro Q). And of course Korosensei's going to ruin perfectly fine romantic moments (even if he lives for said romantic moments, lol). I guess things did get a bit more "interesting" when Karma came in this chapter. Hope you liked it!**

 _ **ToadetteIsMyCaptain**_ **: *chanting* RINCAT RINCAT RINCAT asdfghjkl thank you! Also to your "we're so close to them finding out their identities"... *coughcough*... can't say much :D**

 _ **Guest**_ **: Thanks! I've always thought not having Karasuma interact with the sniper duo in canon was kind of a waste. The three of them are so similar - they're all hardworking, serious, responsible etc.**

 _ **Ship-the-ships-I-ship**_ **: Thanks! I'll try to update sooner but no promises, I'm pretty busy now**

 _ **XoMidnightXo**_ **: Lol what's the point of a Miraculous Ladybug AU with no puns or love square? Hehe hope your questions about Korosensei and Karasuma are answered in this chapter :D**

 **Thanks for reading! Please kindly review if you have time! :D**


	16. Troublemaker

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.**

* * *

 **A/N: The akuma for this chapter is the lovely Fumiko Matsubara's OC, Yamazaki "Miki" Jenny! Miki is the main character of her fanfiction,** _ **TARGET ON!**_ **(link:** **https:*/www*fan*fiction*net/s/13272428/1/TARGET-ON** **[remove asterisks]) Please give it a go, it's sooooo good and I love Miki's dynamics with the class :D and she'll yeet Okajima away lol.**

 **(By the way Fumiko I'm sorry if I botched her character aaaaaa)**

* * *

"Hey guys, let's get going!"

A small gang of teenagers were huddled together on the street, the blinding sun shining down on them. Cars zoomed past, sputtering out warm air, contributing to the heat. Two out of four of them were loudly discussing sports, while one of them was yelling into her phone. The remaining teenager, a girl with a copper-blonde ponytail, glanced at her clipboard, then at her group mates. To a passerby, she might seem poker-faced, but if you look closer, you could see exasperation in her red irises.

"Guys?" The girl tapped her pen against her clipboard. When everyone ignored her, she took a deep breath and continued, "Did you all forget we're going to visit the elderly today?"

The other girl tore away from her phone to say, "Ugh, Miki, can you just give me a second?" She then proceeded to holler profanities into her phone, presumably arguing with her soon-to-be ex.

Miki snuck a glimpse at her watch. They were behind schedule, which was never good. "You've been on the phone for at least half an hour, Onodera-san," she informed her. "Even during the briefing session. I think you've been given enough time-"

Onodera impatiently raised a hand to stop Miki from talking. Then she continued to speak rapidly to the phone, her voice increasing in pitch and volume by the second. Onodera reminded Miki of a terribly off-key violin. A bossy, off-key violin.

A burst of obnoxious laughter. Miki spun to see two boys, her remaining groupmates, discussing football with unparalleled enthusiasm. In other circumstances, Miki wouldn't have minded them, but they were her group mates. They had work to do.

Miki cleared her throat. "Yokokawa-kun, Katsuda-kun, it's time to go."

Miki reached forward and snapped her fingers in front of them. The boys blinked and finally turned to face Miki. They looked at her with the same blank expression as if they just realized she existed.

Miki's crimson eyes sliced through them, but her tone was as calm and collected as usual. She raised her voice slightly to prevent Onodera's increasingly loud screeches from covering her voice. "Listen, I know football is really interesting, and you can talk as much as you like when we're finished with this visit, but just for the moment, please cooperate."

Then there was a deafening roar of an obscene word next to them, which attracted quite a few looks from the pedestrian. Unfortunately for them, they were on a busy road with a number of people. Miki gave them apologetic smiles, and veered sharply to Onodera. Onodera pressed the "end call" button with vigor.

"Uh, you done with the call?"

"That JERK!" Onodera practically screamed. "Who the heck does he think he is, saying those stuff to me-"

Miki put an arm around Onodera to try to pacify her. Due to Miki's height, she achieved this rather easily. "There there, I knew he was trouble the moment he walked in. He's such a self-entitled ass."

Onodera huffed and shoved her phone away with unnecessary force. "I'm so done with him. By the way, I'm tired of holding this." Onodera shoved a bag of towels and crackers at Miki, which were the gifts for the elderly. Miki disliked how she practically just dumped stuff in her arms, but Miki didn't want to get on Onodera's nerves. Therefore, she kept silent.

Familiar chuckles made their way to Miki's ears. Out of her peripheral vision, she saw the boys chatting- again. Miki's heart sank, believing her efforts to pull the group together were useless. But as futile as they may be, Miki knew she still had to try.

Miki was feeling the pressure of handling so many things at the same time. Onodera with her break up, the boys with their football, the visit to the elderly, how she was the only sane one, _everything._ But she knew she had to remain calm, as lashing out would only make things worse.

Miki took a deep breath. In, out, in, out. Her footsteps- left, right, left, right. She could get past this.

The four of them walked to a residential complex. It looked like a bleak place, with identical buildings and windows that seemed to stretch out for miles and plain, eggshell-white walls. Miki knew this complex was neither new nor old, with quite a number of elderly living there. Their school had made visiting the elderly a compulsory service for their year.

Miki peered at her clipboard as she walked, long ponytail swishing behind her. On it was the information of the elderly person they were about to visit. _Hmm. Hayashi-san. Room 11C. Lives alone in a small apartment._ Miki recited the details in her head, mentally preparing for the visit. She hoped she (and her group) could somehow brighten his day, as she'd heard that elderly people in Japan were rather lonely.

Her group mates couldn't have cared less. Yokokawa was sniggering about something, his eyes glued to his phone. A can noisily bounced along the road, propelled by Onodera's angry feet. Meanwhile, a feather flew past Katsuda's face and his nose twitched. That triggered a violent sneeze and the others turned to look.

"Sorry," Katsuda said, rubbing his sniffling nose. "I have allergies."

"You need a tissue?" Miki offered.

"I'm fine-"

Mucus erupted from his nose and ended up all over Katsuda's hands.

Naturally, everyone's reaction was a loud, disgusted "ewww!".

"You're gross, dude!" Yokokawa took a rare glance away from his phone to stare at Katsuda.

Miki tossed a tissue at Katsuda. "Just take it," she said simply. "You better clean yourself up."

"Thanks," Katsuda replied in a nasally voice.

Onodera frowned at Katsuda, eyebrows furrowed in disdain. "Can't you, like, keep it in?"

Miki privately thought it really wasn't Katsuda's fault, as he couldn't help it if he was allergic to feathers. But she could also understand Onodera's reaction as the mucus _was_ awful. And if Katsuda had allergies, he should be prepared for them by keeping tissues at hand.

Yokokawa still had his eyes on his phone. He rounded a corner, and he nearly bumped into a wheelchair user.

In fact, he _would've_ bumped into the wheelchair if Miki hadn't grabbed Yokokawa and yanked him away.

Miki felt her face was scorching with second hand embarrassment. She turned to the wheelchair user, a woman in her young twenties. "Miss, I'm deeply sorry for his actions." Miki then nudged Yokokawa in the ribs.

"Sorry," Yokokawa mumbled under his breath.

"No sweat," the wheelchair user said and went away.

Miki wanted to facepalm herself. How many times had she apologized for someone else's mistakes today? How many times had she silently provided help to these ignorant people? Why did she have the misfortune to be stuck up with such misbehaved, irresponsible people? Anger and frustration steadily built up inside her, and Miki felt like a taut rubber band- about to snap.

Miki longed for time to speed past, and fortunately for her, the entrance of the complex came into view.

The group walked up to the apartment. Or at least, they tried to. Somewhere along the way, the boys wandered away and the group was separated. Although irritated as hell, Miki called them, found them, and practically ushered them to the correct apartment as if they were toddlers or something. Finally, when Miki gathered them in front of the door, they were seven minutes late. _Seven!_

Miki's frustration was bubbling, but forced it down. _Be nice to the elderly._ She knocked on the door and it opened.

Hayashi-san, the elderly man, had greying hair. He used a cane, although he didn't seem to be heavily relying on it. He was polite and welcoming and invited the group in. He insisted he would make some tea for them despite the protests.

"Ooh, look at all those ink paintings," Onodera said loudly, gesturing to the paintings on the wall.

"They look abstract." Yokokawa wrinkled his nose at the blotches of black ink. "What is that, poop?"

Miki rolled her eyes. "Why are you so immature?"

Hayashi-san returned with the tea and began to exchange pleasantries with Miki (who was the only one who bothered to interact with him). As they chattered about topics such as the weather and their daily lives, the other three were distracted and isolated themselves from the conversation.

Onodera was furiously texting on her phone. The boys were not-so-quietly discussing the ink paintings ("What sort of kanji is that? Never seen it before." "Hmm, maybe an old version of a kanji?"). Miki gave them pointed looks to tell them to behave, but again, they just ignored her.

Onodera had the audacity to tell Miki to deal with Hayashi-san for her because she was "busy". Busy doing _what_ , exactly? Couldn't her petty argument wait for like half an hour?

After making small talk, Hayashi-san went on to do what elderly people usually did- talk about their glorious past. Other than the usual "I was at the top of my class" "I was quite a good fighter back then", he also mentioned a lost love who had died decades ago, and why he never married, how he could never understand people nowadays, the environment he grew up with… Miki nodded at the appropriate times. She hoped Hayashi-san could feel some release upon sharing his life experiences.

Miki was feeling more and more uncomfortable as the visit dragged on. The other kids were so obnoxiously impolite! She wished it would just end, so she could just drag them all out and toss them into the trash bin. All three of them basically ignored the poor elderly person and did their own thing. Fury and embarrassment was boiling in her heart, but she forced a smile for Hayashi-san. She just wanted to be _done_ with everything. She clenched her trembling hands into fists.

The moment they left Hayashi-san and was out of hearing distance, Miki could not contain her emotions anymore. Everything she had attempted to stuff deep inside her erupted like a volcano, words and fury tumbling out of her. Her fist swung and she punched her group mates. It wasn't a light punch. As they recoiled in pain, Miki snapped, "Why do you always create trouble? Why can't you be well-mannered and behave for ONCE?"

The three had the decency to look slightly apologetic (keyword: slightly). Miki felt a hot flash of satisfaction upon seeing their faces, and continued. "Do you know how much of _your_ messes have _I_ cleaned up? I tried to be nice, and helpful, and you guys just- ARGH! Just take advantage of that." Miki paced furiously, still holding her clipboard and pen in hand. She threw her clipboard to the ground, and her companions jumped at the loud clattering sound. Miki clenched her pen in her fist, almost as if it were a sword. "I'm so- so DONE!" Miki seethed.

Red clouded over her face and she gritted her teeth, lips pressed into a thin line. Blood pounded in her ears and her eyes swept over the clipboard on the ground. When she looked up at her group, however, they weren't staring at her. In fact, they were staring _beyond_ her.

Katsuda reacted first. "Miki-san, run!"

"Wha-"

A violet butterfly fluttered in view, glistening with dark veins of energy. They helplessly watched as it flew into Miki's pen and dissipated-

And then Miki's red thoughts all drowned into deep, deep purple.

* * *

"Ugh, it's sooo hot outside."

"Sugaya, I regret to inform you that global warming, in fact, exists."

A trio of boys were taking shelter under a veranda sticking out of a roadside café. Sugaya squinted at the too-bright sunlight outside. Mimura was pressing a cold can of peach soda to his cheek. Chiba nonchalantly adjusted his (unfortunately woolen) beanie, trying to ignore the rivulets of sweat practically running down his back.

"Chiba, aren't you feeling hot with that beanie?"

Chiba tilted his head slightly in Sugaya's direction. "A bit," he replied, knowing he would never take it off no matter how hot he was. He was too used to it protecting his eyes. And Sugaya, knowing Chiba, didn't pry.

"Well, I guess this weather ruins our plans to go outside," Mimura remarked.

Sugaya cursed. "Damn, and I wanted to sketch some plants today… I guess we can go to the museum, but we've been there too many times."

"Chiba, you haven't been there, right?" Mimura asked.

"... No…"

"Great!" Sugaya declared. "Let's go together! I think they have a couple of sculptures on display," he said, remembering Chiba once stated he carved wood as a hobby.

Chiba was about to say "sure", but then felt a vibration from his phone. He received a notification from the Ladyblog, with the words "NEW AKUMA ATTACK AT RESIDENTIAL COMPLEX" and the subheading "calls themselves Troublemaker, can turn intangible". The muscles in Chiba's tensed up, and he knew this was his call to go. But first, he needed an excuse.

"Sorry, my mom just texted me and asked me to buy some groceries." Chiba pressed the notification and scrolled through the details quickly. "I-I have to leave."

"Aww, that sucks," Mimura said sympathetically.

"Uh, so bye for now!" Chiba gave his friends a quick wave and hurried away. He found an empty street and rapidly transformed.

Black Cat leapt out into the sky, feeling the intensity of the sun's rays on his suit. He opened his map and went to the site of the akuma attack. On the way, he was joined by Ladybug. Ladybug was usually rather collected, but today he could see a bit of her frenzied side from her jerky movements.

"This Troublemaker lives up to her name and is now wreaking havoc in the apartments. Apparently, she can turn intangible and travel through solids."

"Sounds tough," Black Cat commented. He watched as Ladybug's fingers twitched around her yoyo, obviously uneasy. Seeing her act like that also made him on edge.

"Yeah, I know. We've got to watch out," said Ladybug seriously. "And to make matters worse, there are a lot of elderly people living there."

Black Cat tensed. "We need to lure her out."

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm thinking of. But the problem is," Ladybug scanned the numerous blocks of buildings. "We can't lure her if we don't know where she is."

"Uhh, we can follow the trial of damage?" Black Cat suggested with a hesitant tone in his voice. His eyes roamed over the area. Many residents were being evacuated, with the healthy adults helping the elderly.

The duo dived into the hectic mess. Flour laid over the floor and furniture were overturned. Broken shards of plates and glass littered the ground, with tattered curtains blowing lifelessly in the wind. Black Cat and Ladybug broke open doors to inspect the scene inside, but there was no akuma to be seen.

Amidst the chaos, there was a distinct scream of "begone akuma!". The duo watched as a girl threw a pillow against something in the corridor, and it exploded into white feathers. They saw a flash of pink and black among the swirling feathers, and a faintly humanoid figure.

"Guess we found her," Ladybug said. Then in unison, they pounced towards the figure.

The first thing they saw was the akuma's eye-catching hair, which was a striking pink and swept on one side. Black markings were painted under her eyes. Black Cat privately thought they looked sort of like running mascara. Upon seeing the heroes, Troublemaker's magenta lips quirked into a smirk. She clicked her pen and her body became translucent. Ladybug went to tackle the akuma, but she just passed through the akuma as though she was a ghost.

"My my, do I see some trouble over here," Troublemaker drawled. With a mischievous grin, she sank into the floor, white boots and tattered black pants passing easily through the concrete. "Catch me if you can!"

"Let's split up!" Ladybug announced loudly. Then she dropped her voice and muttered to Black Cat, "Follow her. I'll be bait."

Ladybug jumped out of the building and landed outside. Her alert eyes scanned the area, while Black Cat searched the complex. He took out his baton and crept around, moving quickly to avoid potential ambushes. He leaned over a balcony and caught sight a lurking figure underneath. It was the akuma. Black Cat separated his baton and threw one half of it outside. The clanging noise attracted the attention of the akuma and when she looked out of the balcony, she saw a solidarity Ladybug, seemingly off guard. Naturally, the akuma wasn't going to let that opportunity slip away. Still intangible, Troublemaker leapt out and Ladybug ran. Ladybug grabbed the half of Black Cat's baton and flung it back to him. Black Cat also jumped, caught it in mid air and followed his partner and the akuma.

Ladybug had apparently wanted to change the battlefield to the main roads. The police had evacuated the people on the roads, leaving their vehicles in the sun. The shiny surface of cars glinted in the hot afternoon, and Black Cat found himself being blinded by some of the light reflecting off the surfaces.

Panting and footsteps caused him to turn. Black Cat saw a trio of students crouching behind a car, visibly tense. When his focus returned to the fight, Troublemaker had vanished. _Damn._ His heart clenched.

Ladybug was standing on top of a car to get a better view. Black Cat climbed up the car said apologetically, "Sorry, I lost track of the akuma."

Just as he said that, Troublemaker loomed out right behind Ladybug. She clicked her pen and her gloved hands reached out for the earrings. Instinctively, Black Cat swept Ladybug off her feet. He shoved Troublemaker with his elbow. Troublemaker did a somersault off the car and landed perfectly, pink hair whipping with the movement.

Black Cat knew Ladybug had quick reflexes and would recover quickly, so he didn't check on her and went for the akuma instead. Due to the significance the pen had on the akuma's powers, he believed the pen was the akumatized item. He launched himself at her, knowing close combat would work better than throwing things. Troublemaker grabbed his arm and Black Cat inwardly marveled at her strength. She attempted to throw him off, but Black Cat kicked her exposed midriff and they both stumbled back, losing their balances.

Black Cat felt a whoosh of air above his head, and watched as the bright red yoyo zoomed towards Troublemaker. The akuma clicked her pen and the yoyo went through her uselessly. He pushed himself back up and backed away from the akuma, as he knew they couldn't fight her in this form.

At least he now knew she had to be tangible to get their miraculouses. Their apparent disadvantage might be their greatest advantage.

A shuffling and bumped sound caught their attention. Ladybug, Black Cat, and Troublemaker all spun to see a foot vanishing behind a car.

The akuma reacted first. She chuckled, then made a beeline for the unfortunate person. The heroes followed suit. Troublemaker sprinted and passed through cars on her path, then turned herself tangible again. She tore a wheel off a nearby truck and hurled it through the air to the heroes. As they swerved to avoid it, Troublemaker grabbed a car and held it up, revealing three teenagers, all frozen with shock and unadulterated terror.

"Oh, _there_ you are. Onodera, Yokokawa, and Katsuda," Troublemaker drawled with simpering sweetness, punctuating the last three words with bitter venom. With every name dropped, more blood drained from their faces. "Thought you were maybe smart enough to follow the police's orders to take another route, but I guess you never do what the authorities tell you."

Without even looking back, Troublemaker threw the car behind her, the heavy vehicle sailing towards the heroes' faces. Ladybug spun her yoyo and Black Cat crouched behind her. His powerless eyes followed the car as it crashed on Ladybug's shield, glass splintering out.

Ladybug's hands shook from the pressure, but she didn't falter. If looks could kill, the car would've been sliced into half by her laser eyes. That murderous look quickly softened when she looked at her partner. "You okay?"

"I would ask the same for you!" Black Cat yelled, and she took that as a "yes". Thanking the gods for his tough suit, an unharmed Black Cat scampered out of the wreckage. He squinted through the sunlight and his eyes widened-

Troublemaker held up another car, about to throw it on the defenseless teenagers. Black Cat swore his blood froze for a second, then rapidly boiled with gushing adrenaline. His legs propelled him forward, faster and faster until he reached the teenagers, determined arms reaching out-

"Cataclysm!" he screeched.

Black Cat stretched out his hand heroically, the black energy in his hand dissolving the car. He had successfully saved the teenagers. The trio, who were huddled at his feet, gawked up at him.

"I think I'm in love," someone said.

Through the vanishing cloud of black dust, Black Cat could see the akuma's shocked expression. Her lip twitched, and the shock sharpened into anger. Black Cat grabbed his baton and spun it, preparing to attack.

Troublemaker's arm jerked and she slapped her hand over her eyes. It was as if her eyes hurt from something. Puzzled, Black Cat looked around, then quickly realized sunlight was reflecting off his metal baton. Accompanied by his spinning action, he was sending light straight into the akuma's face, effectively blinding her. Judging from her reaction, her eyes were more sensitive than the average person's.

"Her weakness is light! Just like a vampire!" Black Cat announced, knowing Ladybug could hear him. He snatched a phone from the three teenagers, activated the torch function and shone it into her eyes.

Troublemaker gritted her teeth, hand still over her eyes. Ladybug's yoyo went around her waist, but before she could yank her away, Troublemaker wrenched another wheel and thrust it at Black Cat and the teenagers. Black Cat intercepted the wheel and knew she could do serious harm to the teenagers. They needed to leave right now.

"Go." Black Cat gestured to where he knew the police were. The teenagers all looked similarly confused to what he wanted them to do. He heard clashes and bangs- sounds that indicated Ladybug was facing the akuma.

Black Cat absolutely _hated_ to leave Ladybug alone in a fight, but it was also his duty to protect civilians. Clearly, these teenagers had no idea what to do.

"Follow me. I'll take you someplace safe."

* * *

Slash. Jab. Retreat. Go forward.

After Ladybug had successfully pulled Troublemaker away from the teenagers, Troublemaker escaped from her yoyo. Not letting her have a chance to turn intangible, Ladybug's yoyo hit the akuma's hand. She then advanced, keeping the akuma's hands busy.

Troublemaker was rather strong for someone her age. She easily blocked some of Ladybug's attacks, and Ladybug could feel pain sprouting from where she was hit. Ladybug wasn't as strong, but she was faster. Her yoyo went left right left right- distracting the akuma. Her nimble feet practically danced on the battlefield, cleverly avoiding punches while striking the akuma with her yoyo at the same time.

She had heard what Black Cat had said about Troublemaker's weakness. Unfortunately, her yoyo was not as shiny as his baton, and she couldn't achieve the desirable effect. Ladybug hoped to tire Troublemaker out.

Suddenly, Ladybug felt Troublemaker had changed her tactic. Instead of turning intangible and dodging attacks, the akuma went for the offensive. Ladybug had a sneaking suspicion that the akuma discovered she could fare well against one of the heroes, and decided to take her chances. Every muscle in Ladybug's body tensed in preparation for the onslaught she would face.

 _Where's Black Cat? I hope he's doing fine._ Ladybug couldn't help but feel worried for her partner, even though she should be worried for her current situation.

Troublemaker grabbed a shard of glass and surged forwards. Sensing danger, Ladybug grabbed Troublemaker's arm to stop her, and they both struggled for a moment. The shard was too close to Ladybug, and she could practically feel Troublemaker's hot breath on her skin. Troublemaker crunched her heel on Ladybug's foot and Ladybug ducked her head. The shard slid past her left cheek, creating a shallow slash. Ladybug winced at the pain, but didn't hesitate and hurled her yoyo.

Troublemaker seized the yoyo and swung it around. Ladybug was spun around and when Troublemaker released the yoyo, Ladybug shot through the air. She crash-landed on top of a car, the hard impact echoing in her body. Droplets of blood seeped from the wound onto her hand, and she carelessly swiped it away. She slowly pushed herself up, hands slightly trembling from the effort.

A pair of steady arms helped her up. Ladybug looked up to see Black Cat, green eyes vibrant with concern. Upon seeing him, it felt like a great stone was removed from her chest. She was so happy to have him nearby.

"Does that hurt?" he asked, referring to her cheek gash. He reached out a hand to her cheek, inspecting the wound. Ladybug's skin tinged at the warm touch, and she had to remind herself to be capable of coherent speech.

"Yes, it does a bit. Are those civilians safe?"

Black Cat was about to reply, but held up his baton as if he was warding a vampire with a cross. An intangible Troublemaker was sneaking up on them. Unfortunately for him, Troublemaker was not affected by light when she was intangible. Due to this danger, Black Cat picked up Ladybug and they retreated to formulate a plan.

Ladybug decided it was prime time to use her Lucky Charm. A mirror landed in her hands. She took one look at Troublemaker and her shiny surroundings, and knew what she had to do.

"Oh no, physics isn't my strong point," she muttered.

Black Cat winked at her and took the mirror from her hands. "No problem, I got this."

Ladybug stared as Black Cat leapt away, her heart drumming a thousand beats per minute. _Did he just wink? He had the audacity to wink? In this situation-_ Her thoughts were interrupted when Troublemaker stepped into view. Ladybug then forced herself _not_ to think about him, and stared hard at Troublemaker. Neither of them moved an inch.

 _I just need her to be tangible for one second. One second._ Ladybug kept on repeating to herself. Black Cat was waiting for her next move. She would not fail him.

Ladybug made her legs tremble, making it appear that she was still shaken from her fall. She dashed towards Troublemaker, but tripped and fell spectacularly.

"Oh no! Black Cat, where are you?" Ladybug cried loudly, deliberately seeming more powerless than she really was.

Troublemaker smirked and pounced on Ladybug, quickly becoming tangible. At the same time, Black Cat used the mirror and his baton to reflect light straight into Troublemaker's eyes. Due to Black Cat reflecting the light from a specific beam of sunlight, the intensity of the light was much stronger than before. Troublemaker yelped and used both hands to cover her eyes. The crucial pen clattered to the ground.

 _Yes!_ Ladybug cheered. She took the pen and neatly broke it in half. The purple akuma fluttered away, and Ladybug immediately cleansed it. Black Cat went towards her and she stood up. They both grabbed the mirror and threw it upwards. "Miraculous Ladybug!" they chanted.

Swarms of glowing ladybugs surrounded them and healed them. The superhero duo did their customary fistbump. Ladybug touched her cheek and was delighted to find the gash gone.

A beep sounded from her earrings. "Four dots left," Black Cat informed her.

Ladybug noted that Black Cat's ring was not beeping. "I thought you used your Cataclysm?"

"Yeah, but I nearly ran out of power when I saved the teenagers. That took a really long time. So I just transformed again."

The purple magic melted off Miki and she blinked as if she was newly born. "Darn it. I got akumatized," she groaned.

"Yeah, you did," Ladybug said. _Wow, this girl is super tall even when she's not akumatized!_

Miki sighed. "What sort of weird thing did Kochou name me?"

"Troublemaker," Ladybug replied.

Miki wrinkled her nose. "It could be worse. At least I'm not some sort of monstrosity like _Beach Babe._ "

"Miki-san!"

Black Cat's eyes nearly popped out when he saw those three teenagers return to the scene again. Judging from his face, it looked like he had been Cataclysmed in the ribs. Ladybug could understand his frustration but his expression was honestly so amusing.

"I thought the police kept you?" Black Cat groaned, half-angry, half-exasperated.

"Yeah, but we wormed our way out," Yokokawa said.

"They can't stop us," Katsuda supplied.

"We feel sorta responsible. Only sorta," Onodera added.

Black Cat shook his head and looked away. He was very much done with these three foolish teenagers that couldn't take orders to save their lives.

"Oh hey," Miki greeted cooly. She arched one eyebrow, clearly showing her dislike for them. "Did I kill you guys?"

"Almost did," Katsuda said. He shuffled on his feet nervously. "So… uhhh…"

"We're sorry for what we did." Onodera bowed. The other two followed suit. "We shouldn't have bothered you."

Miki snorted. "Huh, like any words of yours have weight anyway. Prove that you're sorry with actions."

Ladybug watched their little spat and nudged Black Cat. "I think it's time to go."

They hopped away, and on the way, they saw a frantic Kimura dashing among the cars.

"That's one fast guy," Black Cat commented under his breath.

Ladybug agreed, but Black Cat couldn't possibly know how fast Kimura could be in assassinations. His speed had always impressed the class.

"Yo! Ladybug! Black Cat!" Kimura gasped. He put his hands on his knees, visibly panting with effort. "Have you see those three teenagers Troublemaker was targeting? My dad sent me to find them."

"Yeah, they're over there." Black Cat jabbed a figure in the direction.

"Thanks!" Kimura then cheerily shot off.

Ladybug felt a bit bad for Kimura. After all, the police force had basically sent a teenager to do their work. And those three teenagers appeared to be notoriously hard to track down.

They found a vending machine tucked into a corner and immediately bought cold drinks. They were both thirsty and tired after the fight.

"It's just spring but it's already this hot…" Ladybug sighed. She then took a long, luxurious sip of her green tea, enjoying the coolness.

"I kind of want to stick my head in a swimming pool," Black Cat chimed in. "Y'know, this reminds me of last summer. Remember when we ate ice cream?"

Ladybug's grip on her drink tightened momentarily, as though a thought struck her. "I never paid you back for that ice cream!" she exclaimed. She rummaged in her wallet for a few coins, and slipped them into Black Cat's pocket. "Here. I'm paying for your drink."

"Thanks, Ladybug."

There was a serene silence as they both recovered from the battle.

"Sorry that I wasn't able to protect you." Black Cat murmured.

Ladybug's eyes widened, taken aback. "Wha-"

Black Cat now refused to look at her, and he stubbornly stared at the ground. "Troublemaker scratched your cheek and I wasn't there to stop it. Like if circumstances had been a little bit different, you could've gotten a deeper cut, or worse…"

Ladybug smacked his shoulder. She made sure the force was light enough for him not to feel serious pain.

"There's no need to beat yourself up over that," Ladybug said rather harshly. "Black Cat, you were just abiding by your duties. Besides, I'm not a kid. I can handle myself." Under her breath, Ladybug muttered "silly kitty", albeit in an affectionate way.

There was another pause.

"You know what? You're right." Black Cat met Ladybug's eyes, and he gave her a brief smile. "I should stop blaming myself for everything. You should too, Ladybug."

A beep barged into their conversation. "One dot left," Black Cat told her.

Ladybug instinctively raised a hand to her earring. "Ah, I better go." She turned away, then stopped, as if hesitating.

"It was nice spending time with you, Black Cat."

Then she quickly escaped before he could make a remark.

Ladybug soared through the air and landed in a remote street. With a red flash, she detransformed, and Tikki flew out of her miraculous.

"Black Cat is so stupid," Hayami hissed, cheeks pink with agitation. "Like- it's not even his fault. And he thinks he should- should protect me. Without ever caring for his own safety."

"Hmm, aren't you like that too, Rinka-chi?" Tikki commented teasingly. "You two are way too similar. You think the same, act the same, and say the same things!"

Hayami recalled when she thought of him during the akuma battle, even when she was in a tough spot herself. "Well, you're not wrong," Hayami admitted.

She dug into her bag and took out a plastic baggie with two cookies. "Which one will it be?" Hayami looked at Tikki expectantly. "Chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin?"

"I'll take the oatmeal. I'm trying to be healthier nowadays." Tikki clutched the oatmeal raisin cookie with tiny hands and began to munch on it.

Hayami snorted. "You're a deity. It doesn't matter if you eat healthy or not. You can't die, Tikki."

Tikki wagged her hand. "It makes me feel less guilty when I eat sweets," she informed her holder.

A light laugh escaped Hayami's lips. "Whatever you say, Tikki. Whatever you say."

* * *

Miki trod back to her room and took out her piles of schoolwork. She was already dead tired from today's events (nearly throwing Onodera off a building, the visit to the elderly, being akumatized), and she _still_ had work to do. Even in the night. Well, 'tis the life of a poor student in Japan.

Miki began to scribble on papers with a furious pace, ink flowing free from her pen. The house was quiet, as her family members had gone to sleep long ago. It was just her.

She glimpsed the permanent crescent moon outside the window. Miki suddenly remembered that the superheroes of Kunugigaoka would patrol at around this time. Tired of staring at lined paper, Miki looked out of the window, trying to see if she could spot the heroes.

She knew the heroes were both serious and responsible. Rather like Miki herself, actually.

Miki's sleep deprived mind began to wander. What if she was a superhero like them? What sort of animal would her alter ego be based after? A snake? A bunny? Or a fox? Miki rather liked foxes. Would she get along with the superheroes, with their similar personalities?

But Miki knew she might not be able to handle the responsibilities. The everlasting pressure of being a student, coupled with the burden of protecting the town, might just crush her. Knowing that the heroes looked about her age, Miki admired their ability to handle so many things at once.

Two distant silhouettes leapt against the dark sky, quickly moving on the rooftops. Miki allowed a small smile to slip on her face, and watched until they disappeared from view.

She really wanted to know how would it feel, to be out there, patrolling with them.

But it was probably an impractical thought, and Miki knew she could only dream.

But that happy thought was enough to keep her going through the night.

* * *

Under the moonlight, in a different place, another plan was brewing.

"Remember your positions…" a sultry voice spoke into her phone. "I'll pay you handsomely… yes, make sure to look out for that yellow octopus…" Her fingers drummed on a mahogany desk, showing off her immaculate nails. "Don't go overboard, though…"

The young woman ended the call, and casually scrolled through her messages. "Hmph, another car gifted to me… free cosmetics from this one… too bad they're not of high quality…"

She paused when she reached a certain old message. It was from the Ministry of Defense, requesting her help in a special… mission.

As she reread the message, the woman's eyes glinted, and the corners of her plump lips quirked up.

" _An unkillable creature… interesting, very interesting."_

* * *

 **A/N: BOOYEAH 100K BABEY! This brainbaby has reached 100k words! Wow! I can't believe I actually wrote this much! And we're just roughly a third through… lmao. Thank you thank you for all of your support! I will do my best to finish this rather ambitious project :D**

 **I don't know why but this chapter sort of feels… incomplete. Maybe it's because its my shortest chapter recently. Ehehehe, or maybe I just wrote this quicker than usual. And I'd just been gone for two months! Yay… I guess?**

 **Good news: my exams are done, summer holidays are approaching! The second anniversary of this fic, 25/7/2019, is coming soon! :D And I promise there will be a 3-E akuma next chapter :)**

 **Bad news: still haven't received my grades (they're probably bad lol), and I will probably focus on writing for Assassination Classroom Femslash Week 2019 instead of Which Partner.**

 **Yes, you heard that. Femslash Week. For Assassination Classroom. And I'm organizing it :D Like ChibaHaya Week 2018, but femslash. More information can be found on my tumblr blog, assclass-conspiracies (don't question the name, I also don't know what happened). I also post and reblog Which Partner stuff on my tumblr blog! Go and check it out XD**

* * *

 **Assassination Classroom Femslash Week 2019** **:**

 **Duration: 29/7/2019 (Monday) to 4/8/2019 (Sunday)**

 **Prompts are as follows:**

Day 1: **Comfort / Sweets**

Day 2: **Study Time / Assassination Time**

Day 3: **Letter / Flower**

Day 4: **First Date / Frenemies**

Day 5: **Secret / Umbrella**

Day 6: **Kiss / Wish**

Day 7: **Free day**

 **You're more than welcome to join with fanfiction or fanart :D**

* * *

 **Replies to reviews:**

 _ **foxchick1**_ **: Thank you! You know, I always see you randomly pop into my inbox with similar comments! Thanks for being so consistent!**

 _ **Autistic-Grizzly**_ **: Thanks! Sorry to disappoint, it's a OC akuma this time. As for your question about Ritsu, have you seen any akumatized AI in Miraculous Ladybug? ;)**

 _ **ToadetteIsMyCaptain**_ **: I believe we're all done with Karma's crap, lol. Especially Chiba :P Lmao, has this akuma been quite a swerve, considering that you do know Fumiko and Miki?**

 _ **Guest**_ **: Aww thank you so much! Yeah, I also liked writing about Nakamura in that scene. As for your comment on Chiba intervening in Takaoka and Nagisa's fight, I did mention something about the Island arc ;) ehehe**

 _ **DreamDuelist**_ **: Aaa thanks! Ughhh I know I made Chiba and Hayami so dumb, but I can't help but make fun of them :P Love how you commented what parts you liked the most and what you think might happen :D As for Bitch-sensei… hmm… she should be out any moment… :P**

 _ **Greengargouille**_ **: Hi! Nice to see you here! Yeah I have to agree, my old writing is kinda choppy. But thankfully, I think I've improved (?). As for that part with Hayami feeling isolated… I think I had a similar experience before :0 so yeah maybe I put myself into her… But thank you for your comments and constructive criticism! I really appreciate it :D**

 _ **iYunchan**_ **: yeeee the next update is hereee. Hope this satisfies your questions!**

 **Thanks for your support! You guys are what motivates me! Thanks for reading and please consider dropping a review if you have free time! :)**


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